Mass Effect: A Deteriorating Antiphon
by Aeternix
Summary: The Reapers are dead. As Marcus Tyson (a human who hates the monotony of his life) just begins to accept the galaxy's peace, he finds himself involved with a rogue syndicate led by the enigmatic Raven. To the syndicate, this peace is a lie and all that remains is complacency. To Raven, no one is innocent and the message he brings will rattle the universe to the core.
1. The Threads of Utopia

**This is my first story on this website and I'll be trying to do something quite different with it (this will be mostly attributed to psychological and philosophical undertones throughout the piece). There is a schedule on my profile which details when the next chapter will be posted. My plan is to have at least one a week but if something changes it will be on there. If the story catches your eye, please review and tell me why that is. Constructive feedback is a writer's best friend. Do not feel obligated to review though, I will be here with this story till the end.**

**I do not own any of the ideas, concepts, locations, story elements, ect. Though the plot, ideas, and characters may be mine I forfeit them to BioWare. It is their universe and I treat these characters as only extensions of such.**

**Thanks for reading this and thanks to BioWare's crew for creating this series. Now enough of me talking, let's begin shall we?**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Threads of Utopia**

_"Sit him down. You know why you are here?"_

_"No, you are here because you don't understand. Many don't, and even more may never. But I damn well better try to explain it to you._

_"I'm here to tell you a truth, story, parable if you would desire. Long or short you will listen to the tale. What is it about? Why my friend, it is about fear._

_"I once knew a Krogan, the staunch hot headed type. I met him in a bar; to my recollection it was over Turian Ale. There I probed him with questions. These questions were pertaining to his life._

_"It took a while, and after a few rounds he started ranting about the military; how when they first entered the barracks their battlemaster told them to throw away all emotion. 'To hell with living,' the battlemaster apparently said, 'I'll see you all in the Void!'_

_"That warrior in the bar, skin of leather, brain of a pea, then broke down and started to sob. A sight like that could break the morale of an entire battalion. He looked to me with watered eyes, his lids beating the streaks of pain away and said, 'Though when the time came against our most hated foe in glorious battle, Yavnok Gyan; our battlemaster, fled out of fear.'_

_"Those right there my friend, are the truest words I ever have heard."_

* * *

Earth was nothing more than a piece of charred meat. That was what a turian commando said to me as we waded through the wreckage of old New York. "I've had many types of meat," he went on to say. "Vorcha meat, sewer rat meat, human meat," he gave a wink as a slight sardonic edge was traced through that sentence. "But never have I ever _felt_ like meat: so wasted, alone and forgotten. Here on your planet however... ya, I think I know how those carcasses felt." I shook my head. I had known this turian for years and his horrible, misinformed jokes still did not appease me. However, beneath the ill-conceived political correctness there was truth in those words. But I did not care for the hidden truth. This was only a job, not a philosophical debate.

"Though all my food is dextro-amino based, so I really don't know anything about eating sewer rats and the like, do I?" He shook his head in disgust. "I doubt dextro-amino based foods taste any good, though I suppose I never tasted anything else. So I really don't have an opinion do I?" I nodded absentmindedly. "Though imagine what amino-acid based foods must taste like! I bet the juices are still fresh in your mouth, running down your mandibles." Those said mandibles clicked in harmonic rhythms. "Yes, I envy your species."

"I bet you don't say that anymore, now you've stepped foot on this planet." It had been the first time I had spoken on the trip and the commando made a note of it. "I like to focus on one thing, get it done, and move on. I'll rest when I die."

The turian chuckled. "You humans, still resilient as the day we took back the planet." The commando looked to the darkened sky. Outlined beside the moon was the huge bulk of the Citadel in all its glory. It used to be broken and shattered from the blast that had come from it. Now its pristine hulk lay in proud orbit around Earth: a hub for the new galactic era. _It was all for that_, I thought bitterly, _all for a single blast of red flame to end synthetic life_. No one would have known the effects of such a blast. It ripped through the circuitry on the planet, tearing out mainframes and damaging the infrastructure of Earth; well, what was left of it. Even some ships had been caught in the blast experienced a black out as the beam washed over them. My ship was one of those cases where the blackout had never stopped.

"You ever wanted to find out what went on in the Citadel?" The turian asked, breaking me from my trance.

"No." I replied sturdily.

"No?" He countered, watching me throw away rubble as I search for the mechanism we were asked to find.

"He did what he had to do. Almost cost him his life... what life he has left anyways." I shook my head and started to look in a nearby apartment. I dare not go to any top floors so I hoped that it could be found in the main lobby. My companion followed, still in thought. I sometimes hated Thionan for his constant prattling.

"He? You don't even speak his name anymore? Damn, I thought humans had more respect for their war heroes. On Palaven, if you took down even a single cruiser in a war you would be heralded as a legend. You'd at least have a ship named after you, maybe even a gun."

I stifled a giggle, captains never 'giggled'. Yet as I contemplated this I realized that I no longer owned that title. I shook my head, _damn war_. "I doubt Shepard would want some hunk of metal streaming in the sky with his name on it. I wouldn't want it, even if I was remembered by people in the future."

The turian laughed. "Imagine some old guy in the future, telling stories about your exploits. He would stand there with a boy beside him," Thionan lifted his arms and 'outlined' the scene before me. "He would tell a great war story of all your exploits, only calling you THE SHEPARD as recognition." He started to laugh and I merely shook my head.

"If Shepard ever found out about that, he would be turning in his grave."

Thionan looked to me in thought, his mandibles clicking was the only sound accompanying my thrashing around rubble. At last he spoke. "He's not dead you know."

I couldn't help but laugh. There was silence after and I looked to the commando who held a more serious tone. I sighed, "No, no he isn't. But where he is right now," I turned back to my work and walked over to a desk and flipped it over, "isn't exactly on Earth or heaven."

The turian shook his head in despair, not criticism and looked around. After a while of searching through broken glass and cement my companion made a comment about human architecture. He said something about how it was too 'blocky'. I told him that he was just the same and that shut him up for a bit. We searched the main floor and the first level to no avail. I checked my signal scanner to make sure we were in the right vicinity. Thionan looked over my shoulder.

Once the beacon came up on the screen I commanded it to take a reference point to my location. Indeed we were close to it; but it just was not in this building. I asked for the monitor to turn off and it did so with alarming speed. Thionan commented on that. "You have such a sweet way of talking to your equipment. How long did it take to get that baby up and running?" I shook my head as he walked down the stairs and out the door. Rumbling surrounded us as I peered about at any nearby buildings we missed. I found one.

"Surprisingly not everything was destroyed or damaged during the black out." I was the first to reach the wreckage as per usual with the turian dragging behind me. "Small equipment like phones, medical scanners, and our automatic ammo clips still worked just fine."

Thionan chuckled. "You would be lost without your gun wouldn't you?"

I tapped my holster with my right hand while looking behind my left shoulder. "Never leave this baby anywhere, acts as my wing man to dates."

"I bet you're a hit with the ladies."

"Only the krogan ones." We shared a laugh at that. Shaking our heads we went back to work. The lifting was getting brutal and even in the darkness I was getting hot. It was still relatively unsafe to go around wreckage without suits of armour. Radiation plagued even the wildlife; I started to miss the mosquitoes that bit my unprotected arms. I coughed roughly, the clouded atmosphere did not help either, but that was what we got for all out war.

"I'm still surprised after ten years we still can't rebuild some simple structures on your planet. I really don't know what the council was thinking rebuilding the Citadel and relays before Earth." I smiled at his comment. There was humour running throughout yet there was a hidden thoughtfulness that grabbed me. I had only known Thionan for five years after my falling out with the Earth Alliance. My new Special Galactic Ops job was how I met him and I appreciated all he had done for me. Yet he would not let me brush him off. Said he hated the other turian soldiers who only compared war scars and Reaper heads. I still don't know why he's hung along for so long.

"I'm pretty sure ensuring the galactic community was more important than a few burned down parks on Earth." The turian smiled but sighed after.

"Maybe, just seems disrespectful though."

"You're not getting soft on me are you Thionan?"

He smiled wider now. "Oh I never would Marcus."

Marcus. It had been such a long time since someone other than Thionan had called me by my first name. It was always Operative Tyson. I pressed my eyes together. I was just another unnamed solider compared to the real heroes of the war. The names of Commander Shepard, Admiral Anderson, and Admiral Hackett would live forever in human history; like Commander Vakarian's would on Thionan's Palaven. I however, would die alone on some far off planet, left in an unmarked grave far from my birth planet. It was all so wrong yet I could not complain, at least I was alive.

I stood up now and wiped my arm across my sweltering head. Even though it did little to ease my blazing head, the gesture was second nature to me. "I assume this signal has dampened over the years?" I questioned as I started again to search by throwing over more rubble.

"Maybe, Kirrahe—"

"Captain Kirrahe." I corrected. At least I understood the chain of command towards our outfit's leader.

"Fine, Captain Kirrahe," he corrected slowly and dramatically with a wide bow before continuing, "said that the device would be damaged after this time, though he didn't think it would cause us difficulty in our search."

I nodded and got back to work. We did not speak much in that time, we only worked. This was fine by me; the sooner we got off this hell-hole the better. After a while I flipped over a small wall of cement to reveal a spherical mechanism, barely the size of my hand. I picked it up and turned it about. Small velvet lights flickered about and the metal was warm on my hand. I quickly referenced the data log. The scanner's blue light shone over the object as it picked up all the dents and scratches over the metallic surface. At last I got my reading and at last I was satisfied with my results. I called Thionan over.

He came with his usual calm gait. "You find it?" He said after a rough cough.

"I think so. Matches all the specs we got."

"Good," nodded Thionan as he started to turn on his com. But before he could I stopped him with my hand.

"Do you even know what this device is? What it does?" My companion, possibly my only friend looked concerned for a moment, but his eyes soon lightened.

"This questioning coming from the by-the-books solider?" I sighed, I needn't say anymore; I understood what Thionan had meant. He gave a small smile, obviously trying to ease my discomfort as he raised his hand to his suit and pressed a few buttons on his receiver to open a channel. There was a bit of static as he adjusted the link due to radiation, but it was not too long before a voice sprung through.

"Operative Pandrax, what is your status?"

He looked around for a moment, meeting eyes with me before continuing. I could only wonder if he was worrying about the same things I was. "Infinity Unit this is Thionan Pandrax coming in. We have the device, requesting immediate pick up."

With these words I turned from the turian, I had no need to hear the rest of the conversation. I gazed across the ruined landscape of the city. This used to be New York, my home. Now it was only a graveyard. After so long one would think that they would have removed the wreckage of the downed ships during the retaking of Earth. Tried at least to rebuild this once thriving metropolis. I could sadly say that this was not the case. As I looked to and from the ruined buildings I only saw the tombs of fellow soldiers. It brought thoughts of Shepard, nearly dead trapped in stasis, waiting for the day when the doctors would finally cure him of his wounds. He was just like the planet, though legendary in origin and deeds, they both were neglected.

Earth was a charred piece of meat... I would go one further. I would say all of humanity was. A chuckle escaped my lips. I guess there was some truth in that.


	2. Loose Ends

**Chapter 2: Loose Ends**

_"I did not comfort the krogan. You may think it cruel, I thought it as learning. If I did so he would go on to say how he was not worth the help. That he was useless just like they taught him on Tuchanka, et cetera, et cetera._

_"I have no need for a sympathetic krogan, I had need for information. To learn and discover more about his, our taint: fear. _

_"So it took a long wait while he was sobbing. I ordered a few more beers. The bartender looked bemused but I only shook my head. 'Give him some slack my friend.' was what I said. God I'm such a liar. But after a while his tears dried and he told me more about his life though it was always the same; suppression and absolute truths. Kill or be killed. Only look out for yourself. Sympathy is for the dead. Words and phrases used throughout our own human history, only they were wrong. These were not to boast moral or to teach the soldiers how to fight better, no they were used to install fear into the hearts of these warriors_

_"A fearful solider is a good one, he will fight until he dies, he believes all the lies that everyone ever spews at him. He trust his own kind, forsakes the others. This tactic sound familiar Operative?"_

* * *

The salarian was just as I remembered him: quick movements, even quicker words. His armour was black; the colour of our task force and his smile was wide and brimming with thanks. I never understood why he did that, maybe he thought of us with respect and dignity as real people. How wrong he was, we weren't real organic beings; we were programmed machines. "Very good, yes excellent work you two on your assignment." He shook our hands with his and gave a warm smile. I really didn't think he cared if we lived or died. We were pawns in the Councils paws. We, essentially, were loose ends that needed tying up. But for the moment I let the past be and lived in that moment.

"It was no problem Commander," I said with a false sense of bravado.

"Though if you didn't pick us someone else might have got it wrong," replied my turian friend. Commander Kirrahe gave a sad smile. He looked old, very old. If I was a major in salarian physiology I would say he was at least pushing sixty years. Yet, who am I to judge this man? I probably look like hell too.

"You remind me of an old friend Operative Pandrax... a very good friend and a very inspiring leader. One that may not have made in to the final push for Earth in the flesh, but made it in spirit." I nodded and held my displeasure. Another war hero whose name would be remembered forever, unlike us. Though Commander Kirrahe always had a way about him, made it seem like every piece of the clock had its purpose. Though we were just the oil between the cogs, Kirrahe never forgot to thank us.

I straightened and my hand flew to my forehead. Thionan's did the same. Kirrahe looked confused, but his questions were answered when he turned to find Captain Bailey of C-Sec coming through the door. Kirrahe could not help but give a laugh at me and my companion's gestures. Bailey noticed this as well but did not laugh. He only nodded and said, "Operatives," his head turned, "Commander Kirrahe."

Kirrahe stopped his laughing but only just. He too saluted the Captain who only brushed it off. "Please please, I wasn't even close to Earth when the Reapers were defeated; I do not need such grand gestures." Bailey had a data pad with him and gave it to Kirrahe once all our hands fell to our sides. Kirrahe took the tablet and I noticed the words INFINITY UNIT on it, indicating that this involved our operation's unit. We were part of the new Galactic Citadel Special Operatives. Three units were operational under the authority of the Council. Kirrahe was our leader, the Infinity Unit. We seemed to get all the tough missions, this last one seemed like a great reprieve. But nothing is ever simple in a peaceful galaxy.

Bailey crossed the metal room and sat down in a leather chair as Kirrahe read over the notes. The C-Sec commander offered us a seat as well, but we declined. He only shook his head in response. It wasn't a bad base of operations, I reflected as I looked around the room. Nice paintings, some plants, close to the Residential District on the Citadel, all in all not a bad place to work.

But the only thing that bothered me about the scenery was the lack of bodies. Thionan must have notice as I did that we were the only ones in our unit not allowed to leave after we had returned from the retrieval mission. Maybe that was due to Kirrahe personally thanking us and not wanting the other operatives jealous, I still don't know why and I doubt I would ever ask Kirrahe.

The salarian stuck out his lower lip in thought and rubbed his thick green skin. He handed back the tablet to Bailey and started to pace around the room. Bailey just sat there, staring at the moving Kirrahe, waiting for him to speak first. "This... this is quite odd is it not Captain?"

"I believe it is," replied Bailey as Kirrahe's pace quickened.

"I mean, sure we have been tracking them and all, but it does not make sense to place a signal on Earth. It's like they were taunting us, getting past the Citadel's security and landing on Earth. Maybe they were there doing something different? No illogical, too rash..." Kirrahe was rambling and even I, the one who knew most about this mission was completely lost.

It seemed Bailey was as well. "Dammit Kirrahe! Can you stop pacing for one goddamn second?"

The salarian commander looked to the blonde, crew cut human and nodded his head. "Yes... right, sorry." He walked over and sat in a chair opposite Bailey. Kirrahe looked to his right out of the window. The light filtering through the cracks of the blind were opened by the Commander's prying fingers. He moved his head about, looking outside at all the flying cars going about. It was like he was studying them... wanting to find a weakness. For someone who had been in the military his entire life, I understood completely. However, I was always part of the fleets, never part of secret special ops forces like Kirrahe. He took his fingers from the blinds and turned to Bailey who was leaning back in his chair relaxed. "So, what do you suppose we do?"

The 'they' in Kirrahe's speech was obviously The Vipers, a gang we had been tracking for some time; though I never expected that they would be the ones who placed the signal on Earth. My best guess would have been it was an old beacon that never was picked up, maybe holding key tactical information on the battle. Even after ten years most species still did not know what truly went on in that battle. "I don't know. They haven't gotten past C-Sec and there have not been any reports of acts of Terrorism..."

"But they have sold Red Sand on Omega Captain; you do understand that they have a huge operation there. In my mind this could be another set up for a job, maybe even a deal," countered Kirrahe as he leaned forward on his chair. "We have been tracking them for two months. The last three weeks of this month we have heard nothing, not a single blip from them. It is either they are very good at hiding from us, have another plan, or are just lazy."

Bailey nodded thoughtfully and turned his head to us. I, who was spying on the conversation, turned my head around rapidly. Bailey smiled to my gesture. "You operatives can go. Kirrahe will discuss this with your Corps later." I turned slowly to face the Captain and nodded my head. Both Thionan and I turned to face the two high ranking officers, saluted, then left without another word. Though as we started to leave I could hear Bailey utter ever so quietly, "I hate military bullshit." I couldn't agree more with him.

* * *

Thionan wanted to go to The Phoenix, a new bar that had replaced the Purgatory. I declined, I wanted to go to the Residential Area and see the monument. He knew he couldn't convince me otherwise, so he left me after a good pat on my shoulder. "Keep safe Marcus," was all he said. I sighed, safe was a diametric term.

The Residential Section of the Citadel was just a recent finished project. Each species had their own section, similar to China Town in New York... New York. I shook my head, it seemed like everything around me was a reminder of home, my home, the one broken and left to rot. But I shrugged it off. I would rather see the galactic community improve drastically. The first few years were brutal without that unity. Sure we were all off on the high of victory, but the price was all synthetic life. Debates of whether we should bring back key species like the geth were debated; they often ended in shouting matches though. The racial struggle was not only the biggest problem. The shift from all out war to peace time was nearly impossible, especially with the devastation the Reapers caused. The markets went down, businesses slowed and most races were out of jobs. I would have loved to be one of them on the streets; instead I was in a containment cell. Yeah... I'm glad they focused on the Citadel's rebuilding, it did wonders to strengthen the universe as a whole.

After a quick elevator trip, I walked out into the main complex, the Illium Gardens. It was named this due to the generous donations of the Illium people at the end of the Reaper Conflict... at least, that's what it said on the plack. There was a short stairway leading down from the elevators into a small garden. Bright red tulips and blue eliptus plants from the asari worlds stood side by side in the bright artificial lights above. There were races all around, each comforting each other at the losses of brothers, mothers, each other. If my cynicism could have been lifted for a moment I would have said that this was the picture of unity. However, with these thoughts came the wreckage of Earth below and it brought pain to my heart.

The monument itself stood alone with the bed of flowers around it. It was a massive structure, each side carrying a different species with the many names that died on duty for the Citadel military forces. I could only count sixteen sides but I bet there was more. All in all I only cared for my side; the human side. I saw an old man in front of it. A few meters way, smoking a cigarette was a young medic, obviously from the Eternity Ward that had been set up. The medic seemed non-chalant about the old man, his back was to him and he barely gave second glances. Maybe it was because the medic was a salarian, but then again who am I to judge merits?

I could tell the man had at least a few people he knew on that wall, for he would rub his finger along names, feeling the deep grooves carved into the rock. The man, his hair of white would close his eyes and whisper words, prayers to his fallen comrades before moving on. It was touching but it was not unique. Every species had a side and on every side they had their losses. I decided to wait for the man to be done with his ritualistic practice, it was only common courteously. Unfortunately the salarian didn't know that word.

"I'm sorry Mr. Alexander," the salarian started as he pulled the man's hand away from his finger, "but you are not allowed to touch." The man looked to the salarian in deep pain and turned back to the rock, retreating his hand from it.

"This name," he started, slowly and carefully, "was my son. Dave Alexander..." Tears started to well. "He promised me that he would return that he was alive." The man turned to the doctor. "So why is his name here? He should be coming home soon; I thought I got an e-mail from him." I closed my eyes in pain, the man obviously did not remember much anymore; he probably did not know his son was even dead. They must have told at least fifty times and each time it must have been as painful as the time he had first heard it.

"Your son is dead Mr. Alexander; he died ten years ago when Cerberus troops stormed the Citadel. You don't remember it that well but it happened, I in fact treated his wounds." The bluntness of the salarian was disturbing but then again I would grow weary with telling the man the same thing over and over.

"No... no he told me he would come back..." reasoned the man. He turned back to the stone and placed his hand on the name. "He said that he wanted to see me again... wanted to keep me safe..."

"Sir that is enough," stated the doctor coldly as he took the man's hand more forcefully from the stone. The man insisted however and flung himself to the ebony monument, crying profusely.

"He's not dead, he promised! Dave never broke his promises; he wouldn't have lied to me! Why did he lie?" Other people were now becoming aware of the man and the doctor did not seem to appreciate the sudden gain in attention.

He started to move towards the man. "Mr..."

"Don't touch me!" Interrupted the man forcefully. "You don't know him! You probably killed him. You never cared for us! You only wanted us to die. This is why you don't go to the monument yourself! You have lost nothing!" The salarian was biting back anger. He lifted his hand to his horns and started to grow extremely angry. His hands became fists and it was here I decided to intervene.

"He's lost his son," I reasoned. The salarian turned to me, his eyes full of suspicion and mistrust. So much for galactic peace. "Look at him, let him respect the grave of his fallen son. Let him have remorse."

The salarian looked around; all the eyes were on him. Even some of the guards stationed at the doors, their weapons primed seemed to take an interest. It was here where I realized that I was forcing the young doctor to make a choice between his job and his morals. I knew what he would choose before it even came out of his mouth. "No, rules are rules. I cannot allow such behavior, regardless of species or event." He turned to the man and straightened him. He tried to escape yet he was far too weak to put up much of a fight. "You are coming with me and you," he turned to me now, his eyes darker, "can stay out of Citadel business. You are a guest here and you shall remain as such." He departed without another word leaving me alone at the monument and a victim to the prying eyes of the observers there. I shook my head at the two retreating forms, making my case clear and went back to the memorial stone.

Slowly and surely the grievers went back to what they did best and those who wanted a show found there was nothing left. The lurking eyes dispersed and left me alone to remember my fallen comrades. Names of friends I people I hadn't talked to in years was up here. Families I had grow attached to, broken in an instant. My brief moment of loss was interrupted by a man in a suit beside me; he too was peering at the wall of names.

"It's sick how they parade this mentality." I turned to the dark figure. He had long hair that went down to his shoulders. His grizzled black beard matched his equally noir hair and he had eyes... piercing eyes of blue... they were eyes you could get lost in. He turned to me and I quickly averted my eyes, I did not want him knowing I was staring at him. No comment was made towards this gesture; he continued his original thought unabated. "You were right you know." Now was when I looked to his face head on. He had no smile, no possible correlation of emotion. Blank was the word for it, possibly robotic. "That man should have been left to mourn. Yet at the same time this was not the place for it." He returned his gaze to the names. "A time for mourning should be a personal affair, not one passed around for all to see. It is all planned, getting these poor souls on camera, broadcasting it to the world. The Reapers may be dead but Indoctrination still lives."

The man turned around and started to walk out. The soft click of his heels against the floor only added to the conclusiveness of his argument. I shook my head. Who was this suited man to say such bold things? Even though my mind was filled with poison I turned around to the man and called for him. He turned at my voice. "Who are you to say such things in a time of peace? The Reapers are all dead, can you not let the past go and live in the present?"

The man smiled and gave a laugh. I was shocked, was I indeed this funny? "My friend, we do not live in peace time. I do not know what world you live in, but it is not the one I see around me." His walk continued till he was atop of the staircase. The guards noticed him yet did not care; he was another rambling soothsayer to them. Once he was behind them however he turned around, now addressing the entire crowd at the memorial. They had slowly become aware to his ramblings and now most were staring at him. His eyes flashed intellect and a gleam of childish glee. "If we are indeed in peace time my friends, why do these guards hold guns at a memorial garden?" He stuck out his lip and gave a sigh, glancing at the now turned guards one by one. "It is a pity that they cannot think for themselves."

With that he left in silence, no one confronted him on his way to the elevator. No one wanted to, for he had officially opened the crowd's eyes to the truth he had been preaching. That truth was not one people wanted to hear but one they needed to hear.

We were still at war.


	3. A Simple Task

**Chapter 3: A Simple Task**

_"Yes, the krogan's were not the first to use this tactic. I've travelled, I've learned, and I've seen. The sights I have seen, the genocide and the atrocities I have witnessed. Theses patterned events are far beyond the Reaper's abilities. No, we are the true Reapers. We need no sentient race to kill us, we do a fine job ourselves._

_"I told the story of the krogan to a merc once. Blue Suns I believe was his organization. We were both in washroom, me to wash my hands, him so that he could ease his stomach. I commented to him on it, 'You look pale," is what I said. He chuckled. 'Sympathy for the devil,' he responded with an uneasy grimace. 'If you knew what I have done, you would not even speak to me." He doubled over into the sink and let loose his stomach again. I found a nice wall to lean on as he did so. When he finished he found me picking my teeth. 'You don't care,' he continued, breathe heaving with strain, "that I may have killed a dozen men like you... with my bare hands...?'_

_"I laughed at him and told him the story of the krogan. How after that I really did not fear much. I had seen death itself from the bringer of death. Quite poetic actually, yet this merc did not see it so. 'I'd watch your mouth,' he said before vomiting purple drink, 'people don't like false tales...'_

_"I looked to this poor soul and smiled. Placing my hands behind my back I walked casually over to him. I was in a suit, as I usually am and adding a skip to my step I drew close. I noticed how he started to chuckle at my before his mouth returned to the sink. That was his fatal flaw. For I, noticing the gun strapped to his holster the moment I entered in the bathroom, lunged for it. He had no time to react as I took the gun with one hand and pushed him back with the other. Once it was in my hand I shot him in the gut. One spit and a smile was all I needed as I threw the gun back on him, 'You should really listen to the truth son. It has a way of biting you in the ass.'_

_"With that I left him there, bleeding his guts out. God, you should've seen the look on that batarian's face."_

* * *

A cold drink was all that was on my mind as I took the elevator of my apartment to reach my room. The mirrors reflected my face upon them and created a never ending corridor beyond that. God I did look rough. My scraggly beard, sweaty hair, eyes of fire... shit it just looked like I had just finished killing a Reaper Cannibal. The uniform was faded from use, like me, and the symbol of our unit was placed proudly over my heart. I took a closer inspection. It was a single wing of fire, embers of gold shimmering in the artificial lighting. Many would be proud of such an accomplishment, to be working for the Galactic Council. I saw it as a ball in chain. I chuckled, no; it wasn't like that at all. I knew what one of those felt like and I would not dare return to them.

The metal doors opened smoothly and paved way to a lavish apartment space. Red carpets, brass candlesticks lit with an auburn flame. It reminded me of human architecture long before we ever went to space. There was a charming simplicity to it and even some of the other alien species seemed to enjoy it opposed to the shining asari culture. This suspicion was proven correct as I passed a turian and an asari, both in formal wear and going out to dinner; the ticket in turian's hand told me so. I smiled to them and received a smile back. At least some people in this universe were civil.

I finally reached the door. Upon it in gold was the number 1:9, for floor section and floor. I grinned; I guess there was some perks for being part of the Citadel Task Force. Sliding my chip card into the slot there was a pleasant ring and a voice uttering, "Welcome home Operative Tyson," in a placid tone of voice. I barred my teeth in retaliation; even at home I could not escape my role in the galaxy. I kicked off my shoes and went inside my bedroom. The lights turned on as I entered the room and took off my suit of armour. I decided to take a shower and after that brief reprieve was complete I changed into some casual clothes. Yet they did not feel as they were mine. I rubbed the alliance insignia that was patched over the right breast. It felt cold, metallic even though it was made of Velcro. I swallowed bile. These were of a man's long dead. He died in the Reaper War and never came back. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. On that ship, all the equipment gone quite, that was where he died. I changed my shirt after I received these thoughts; I was no longer a dead man.

I entered the living room which had a walk-in kitchen. To my surprise Thionan was on the couch, a cool glass of wine between his fingers. I laughed and took out a beer. This caught his attention. "Back so soon?" He asked with a sarcastic tone.

"Ya, apparently it's disgraceful to show respect for the dead in public." I threw my beer lid at him to which he grabbed it with his free hand. He looked at the label as I sat down and observed Thionan's program.

"Hm, never do understand Human company labels. On Palaven it's often about war, battle, glory, etcetera. It's straightforward and to the point. This however," he points to the bottle I'm holding and alerts me to it, "is too damn funny." I turn it about spying the thing that makes him laugh; it is an asari stripper.

"Ha, ha," I mock as I take another swig, Thionan only continued to chuckle.

I now pay closer attention to the holographic monitor as Thionan starts to rant. He usually does when he's drunk, tired, or just plain fidgety. It occurs to me that he's often one of these most of the time. "This is Diana Allers reporting in on the Citadel with all your Galactic news!" I sigh, not her again. After her apparent 'rise to fame' with her reporting on Commander Shepard's ship, it seemed she was everywhere you looked. From reporting technological studies to biological breakthroughs she was the person who seemingly got the most out of the war. I took another swig from my beer out of spit. "Well it's been almost six years since the rebuilding of the Citadel to its former glory and the Council has decided to celebrate. With me is the quarian Chancellor Raan. Chancellor Raan, tell us about what the quarian people are planning to celebrate this history day of Galactic Unity?"

"Galactic Unity my ass," I replied to no one in particular. Thionan gave a frown. I felt that glare on the back of my neck and turned to him slowly. "At least, that's what the guy said at the Memorial."

"What guy?" Questioned Thionan suspiciously.

"Long hair, beard both the colour black I mind you. Wears a suit... he was an odd one I tell you that. Said some stuff I've been thinking about for a long time yet never had the chance to say it. Man, he sure has some balls." I leave Thionan's face and return to the glowing monitor. Another swig was taken of the beer as the quarian talked about how they were planning spectacular light shows, and immense galactic show; essentially bullshit.

After a long silence between us I probed him. "Why are you so displeased with what I said? I thought you agreed with me."

Thionan looked around the room and sighed, his mandibles clicked in an automatic reply. "Yes I agree, but not entirely. I still think we have the chance to retain unity, we are just going about it in the wrong way." I smiled good old Thionan and his unexpected deep thoughts. "I mean, look at the salarians for example." He brought the glass to his lips as I pondered what he said.

"The salarians?" I asked, trying to piece together where he was going with this.

"Ya, they never got a seat on the Galactic Council." Again he took another sip, this time more was drained. The Council used to be only three species, the salarians, the asari, and the turians. But after the Reaper Wars a new Council was created, however the salarians we not asked to join. When the krogans revealed that the Delatrass had been trying to create a back deal with Shepard and prevent the curing of the genophage, the galactic community was furious. I mean, I understood where they were coming from but I agreed with Thionan. Every race that fought and played a major role in the final rush to Earth got a seat in the Council except the salarians. It indeed seemed odd.

I lick my lips, the taste of the beer still fresh on my lips. "Odd I agree," I started, "however a salarian did get elected to be in charge of the Council's Special Ops." I thought of Kirrahe, even though he was not the one elected he was recommended by him. Before this I had heard the many exploits of Kirrahe, his legendary fame for the successful mission on Virmire, the countless espionage missions on Cerberus... Cerberus... the name seemed so foreign. Even now it seemed all its stocks, all its market value had dropped. It was as if the new ceased to exist...

Thionan's voice brought me from my thoughts. "I guess, doesn't look good though however. I mean, the geth were our allies in the fight and look what happened to them." I ran my lips across my teeth feeling the grime upon them. The geth's demise was just like that same grime and the teeth were the concept of unity.

"We can't do much now," I replied solemnly. "What has happened has happened and the only person who could shed perhaps a bit of light on the subject is in stasis." It seemed I had nothing more to say after that and neither did Thionan. We returned to the holo-monitor and watched the screen. After a few moments of Allers going about interview to interview we both agreed we had enough of the lies.

The channel switched to a cooking show, showing how Varren meat could be made into a sizzling stew. "This one's from a turian I once knew," the aqua skinned asari host said as she winked towards the camera. Thionan spat out in drink in laughter, the drink falling to the ground dyed the carpet red. I started a chuckle as I watched Thionan try to contain himself as the asari handled the stewing spoon, spinning it around in her palm and swaying her hips with the motion. Her lips made a soft coo as she dipped a finger in and tasted it. The whole passionate idiosyncrasy of the whole affair had Thionan in stitches. After a while I too found it funny and soon we were both enthralled in laughter.

"The way asari are portrayed in our culture," Thionan could barely breathe from laughter, "if I was one of them I sure as hell would be angry." I chuckled in response. This was replied with a ring from the phone inside the apartment. It seemed everything in the apartment complex was built for aesthetic realism. I hardly could say that without smirking.

Thionan made his way over to the phone, dropping his mostly finished wine on the coffee table before him. Before he picked it up he shot me a gaze and gave a smirk. "Can you shut that damn thing off?" He asked mischievously. "I don't want people think we watch that sort of shit!" I nodded and laughed as I clicked the receiver as I heard the phone's handle coming off the box.

"Hello?" Asked Thionan, his light tone was no more. "Yes this is Operative Pandrax. Yes. Really?" I brought the last of the beer to my lips as I listened intently to Thionan's side of the conversation; you could learn lots from how people's tone changed. "I see... Alright then we will be on our way. Send our regards." There was a click of the handle going into place as I turned to face Thionan.

"And?"

"Hope you didn't think of escaping that armour just yet Marcus, Kirrahe wants to see us. He says he has a new mission." I turned back to the black screen and sighed. But who was I to argue? Dead men couldn't complain.

* * *

You called us in Commander?" I asked as soon as I got a clear sight of Kirrahe. The green skinned salarian turned to my voice and gave a small smile. He would not have brought us here if it wasn't important. Kirrahe was the type of person who would never waste your time.

"I did in fact. Please sit while we get everyone here." I nodded and motioned to a few chairs where Thionan and I sat down together. I glanced around the room. Bailey was not there, but that was no surprise, he never was part of our outfit in the first place. The black armour and amber insignia of our armour was sparkled throughout the room. This was only for coffin-folk.

A few faces I knew entered in. One was another salarian, a nice guy and a good friend to Kirrahe. The way he looked, smiled, it all seemed fake. I definitely don't call Kirrahe a socialite but the others salarians on our team made him look like Thionan and that's saying something. A drell, a few asari and a volus walked in... wait a volus? I blinked twice, peered my eyes and gave a slight hiccup of laughter. I had not seen a volus part of our company and the way he walked about, trying to blend himself. All I can say was that it could have been one of the funniest things I've seen.

Thionan followed my gaze and laughed as well. "Damn volus think they own the damn place. Just because they brought stability to the economic state does not mean they can waltz around doing whatever the hell they want." I nodded to that; it seemed that the galaxy was still in the hands of wealthy businessmen.

Thionan and I started to turn away but saw one of the commandos, an old veteran kick in the volus in the back. The volus turned, started to swear but was pushed again on his other side. Soon the entire company was on him, pushing him around and laughing. I even saw Thionan smiling with a boyish glee I had yet to observe. "What to join?" He asked mischievously. I debated the thought; it was enticing to help give the volus a lesson about us military folk, but stopped my words when Kirrahe spoke.

"Company together!" He shouted. Instantly the crowd dissolved away from the volus. Where they once were stood the volus, scratch marks along his armour. Though Kirrahe made no note of it he was displeased by what had happened. I sighed, after we would probably get a lecture. "Stand in formation!" He ordered again and this time Thionan and I got up and joined the line of operatives that lined the right wall. We all stood silent, our expressions blank, staring at the window. I noticed the blinds were down, I gave a mental chuckle, weren't they always? "Now, I want to inform you of our guest Mr. Nefna..."

A sharp inhale from the volus interrupted our commander. "Actually," another wheeze, "you may call me just Nefna Major, your squad however," this time his inhale seemed more forced, like he was trying to make a point, "will not have such luxury." Damn volus, proud till the end.

If I had a credit for every time I noticed Kirrahe's fake smile rise on his face I would be rich. "Yes, right and its Captain Mr. Negna, I left the STG remember?" There was no bitterness in that comment; in fact I could guess it was Kirrahe's choice to leave. He did, after all, fight on Earth. To the salarians he would be a hero. His eyes darkened though as he started to speak again, "However, I am indeed sorry for outburst Mr. Nefna. My squad would like to..."

"It is quite alright," started the volus with a wave of his hand. "I am not immune to such belligerent comments. I do, after all, most of my business with the Council. When you've seen one blind walking corpse you've seen them all." Now he was making a threat to our unit and I could clearly see Kirrahe would have none of that. Even if Kirrahe did not correct his behavior, our unit would surely do so when the volus walked out of here. Specifically in a place where there were no cameras.

"Mr. Nefna, I will not tolerate such attacks on my unit. If you wish to speak on such ground you may gladly do so but not at the cost of my men." The volus was obviously taken aback, but he straightened himself and gave a stoic nod. I looked to him in disgust. He didn't care about us, we were just insects beneath his feet, in the end we were the expendable ones. I felt like spitting in disgust. "Now if you would please tell us what we want to know." Kirrahe outstretched his hand towards the volus, indicating the importance of the information. The volus just shrugged and now turned to eyes; I could tell he was displeased at speaking to us.

"I have recently come across a... client that has been dealing with some... sensitive items..."

"Get to the point!" A commando yelled in dismay. Both Kirrahe and the volus shot him a glance. Kirrahe's was of course kinder than the volus'.

"As I was saying, my client has been dealing in the affairs of illicit items, specifically in the dealings of Red Sands..." There was a pause as the volus took a breath and we digested the information. We all could guess what was coming next. "These people who my client is selling the goods to are the gang known as the Vipers. Through members of my board I wish to keep secret, they told me the deal will be happening in the Kenzo District on Omega. Now I could have gone to any station on Omega and told them this. But I know your unit has been dealing with this gang for quite some time. From my records it seems they have evaded capture every time you've engaged them." I could feel the tension in the air. The volus was deliberately explaining our weaknesses as a unit. Though I could not guess what he wanted to get out of it. "I'm offering you now a chance to even that score," oh, here was the catch, "but I do require some payment for all the specific details. I would say half a million credits." I did not know if volus had any mouths behind that respirator, but if he did I could bet my life that he was grinning.

There was an uneasy silence that entered the room. All of us knew that we didn't have that money and we had already tested the Councils patience by allowing us direct access to Earth.

After the Reaper War, Earth became unstable ground. More than half the population was decimated and anyone on the planet would suffer the effects of radiation poison. It was to be left alone on the grounds of respect and safety. At least, that's what the Council broadcast messages stated. In essence it was not due to the safety of our personal on the surface (for we had medical technology that could repel these effects) no, it was for the fact that the Citadel was in orbit. No one wanted to move the Citadel, Earth had some resources able to rebuild the massive station and once it was created people claimed it had 'found a home'. To me it was an excuse for laziness. But with this came problems. The Citadel in orbit caused massive earthquakes alone the planet's entire surface. Destruction would run rampant and tsunamis would be an everyday occurrence. These effects of the orbit made scanning the planet extremely difficult. With these scanner difficulties anyone could get on the planet and plot to overthrow the Citadel. Terrorism was the main concern and the Council did not want to start panic inside the hearts of an already war-weary universe. I for one did not blame them, but it added to our predicament.

I returned to the events before me and licked my lips. The volus had high demands and it was not like we had never seen these before. But we needed the information, we needed to prove ourselves. As the volus had painstakingly reminded us, we had lost to the Vipers. I had heard rumours that the Council was growing ill with these failures. We were small, only of twelve members and were dealt with the 'sensitive topics'. This caused great jealousy between us and the other units; the Helix Unit, the Serenity Unit, and the Orca Unit. Though we, the Infinity Unit, had had the most successes, we also had the most crucial failures. I would enter in to see Kirrahe yelling at his monitor, demanding that the other units who spoke poorly of us be brought to justice for their mistreatment. He sadly never got the apologies.

Kirrahe was tense yet did not show it to the volus. He knew that we had been with him too long to change his mirage of hiding displeasure, but the volus could not see through these tactics. I could see that even he was beginning to worry. _He's thinking he's demanded too much_, I thought. _That's just where we want him however._ "So, what it is your answer? Should I take this information to Omega?"

Our leader's eyes were closed and to that they flashed opened. He gave a smile. I knew that smile anywhere, he had an idea. "Omega will not offer you close to a fraction of that price Mr. Nefna." The volus took a quick inhale, obviously taken back. "In fact, Aria would squeeze it out of you if you dared demand anything from her." Kirrahe started to pace in the room as he waited for a response.

The volus followed his movements very careful as we followed his own. "Omega is not my only option. The other units in this Special Ops sector would be more than happy to oblige-"

"After they found out that you came to us first?" Interrupted Kirrahe as he stopped his pace by the door. "If you know anything about us Mr. Nefna, know that we are not liked in this sector. Sure we get the jobs done, but not to the standards of what the other units call 'quality'. They fear us, fear our motives, and fear our loyalty. They will see you as only a by-product of what we stand for." I resisted smiling, he was breaking the volus! "If you go to them after us they will see it as themselves being second rate, second class to our operations. They will get angry. No, furious in fact." Kirrahe took a few steps towards the volus and stared him down. The hands that were behind his back now crossed in front of his indented chest. "Now, what do you say? We will offer you a hundred thousand credits and nothing more. That is the best price you will get for your information."

A few hover cars zipped by the room and caused their deformed shadow to be projected over the volus. Though the blinds covered the window, streaks of light managed to break through, causing a cascade of thin lines to drape over the volus' white suit. Though our outfit had commented to Kirrahe about fixing it, in this situation I found it quite useful, intimidating even.

Kirrahe furrowed his brow and peered to the volus, almost demanding an answer with his eyes. The volus shrunk to this and now lost his entire original wealthy motif. He now was a frightened coward. "Alright," spoke the volus, now slower than before, "I understand where we stand. A hundred credits sound... wonderful in exchange for the information." I could tell there was a deep anger, possibly regret towards Kirrahe offering only a fifth of the ordinal price, yet I couldn't complain.

"It's settled then," smiled Kirrahe as he walked over to his desk. He sat down at his monitor and motioned for the volus to give his information. The volus lagged at the order for a moment, and then continued.

"Near the Arachnia Outfitters, three stores down the deal will happen. I will give you the address if you deem it necessary..." Kirrahe nodded as the volus turned back to the squad. He was ringing his hands, obviously nervous. "I must mention that this deal is worth a lot to the Vipers. Key players will be there, if you want to catch them, now's your chance Major. I can tell this is more than duty, it's about reclaiming your lost honour."

Kirrahe gave a great sigh. "It's Captain, Mr. Nefna and is that all the information you can give us? What about sentry? How many soldiers is he taking with him? How good is his spy network? These are the things I need to know Mr. Nefna, not for success but for the safety of my team." The volus looked around the room to us. His eyes blinked a few times, an animosity had grown between us and the volus. Though he was a provider of information he had treated us as if we had not existed, as if we were just meat. He would pay for that in some form or another.

"I will send you the rest of the information once you deliver the payment to my apartment." There was a loud wheeze as he started to exit the room, his rickety walk now more pronounced. It was like he was limping after being shot in the foot. The doors opened to his presence and he turned one final time. "You have the location of my apartment through C-Sec; I know you and Commander Bailey are good friends." I could see Kirrahe's demeanor grow instantly cold towards the volus yet he did not care. "Good day, Major Kirrahe. I trust that you will treat those mercs as well as you have treated me." The doors slid with a thud as the volus exited without another word.

There were a few moments of silence. No one moved. Then all in an instant our formation collapsed and we surrounded Kirrahe's desk. There were shouts and complaints. Most of it was the anger towards being publically insulted in our own base. I could not blame them for being so outraged for I was one of them.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" Shouted an asari.

"If I were you Captain, I'd kick his ass back to Irune," said the human commando who yelled out of line earlier.

"I would approach caution towards this man though," replied the Drell who was obviously in thought, "this volus knows much about the Council and I have no doubt he has friends there."

"I still think he needs to be put in his place. A proud volus is one of the most disgusting sights I ever have seen," protested Thionan. I could not help but agree with him. The conversations continued till at last Kirrahe could not handle it any longer.

"Be quiet!" There was silence in the room once more as Kirrahe raised himself from his desk. He eyed the task force one by one, making sure he had all their attention. Though we were all rough folk who lived on the edge of societies laws there was one law we followed with utmost respect: never get out of line with Kirrahe. "Now, I understand that Mr. Nefna went out of line but that does not mean we start to act like raving animals!" Kirrahe looked around again, his grim expression only made me gulp. "I also will not let him walk over us like this. Operative Carman." He turned to the loud mouth human who simply saluted. "I want you to take a group of men and break into Nefna's apartment; that is where I will be sending the credits. You will enter in and steal back our credits, do a good job but not too good. This robbery should look like the work of a common thief." Carman nodded and already was looking out into our group, trying to pick out the best for such a mission.

"As for the rest of you," started Kirrahe again. "I want you to know that we will have a meeting tomorrow to discuss what our plans our. Infiltration seems like our best option but right now it could be anything. I want you all to sleep well tonight; tomorrow we plot to retain what we lost. We will not let the Viper slip from our hands again." Kirrahe stood up straight now and placed on his heart. "Are you ready to serve your kin, brothers, and your family?"

We all straightened as well and placed our hands to our hearts. "Sir yes sir!" We shouted in and exuberant chant. This was repeated at least five more times, each time Kirrahe asking a different question.

After the sixth question and answer he spoke, "Now you may depart soldiers, know that you will do me proud as I have done you." We all started to leave in order, the only sound accompanying us were the drumming of our food steps. This drumming could have been said to be a death march but in that moment we were hardly shaken. Virmire was Kirrahe's greatest stand and so we assumed Omega would be ours.

How wrong we were.


	4. Gambit

**Chapter 4: Gambit**

_"I was later questioned over the death of the merc. The officer was a Specter, asari I think, and since it was that lady in blue I decided to eye her. My friend if you ever want to get by an asari scott-free, eye her body. Make her believe you want her, make yourself look like you dream about her at night. That your thoughts are never truly your own; that she controls everything you ever shall want. They are all simple creatures asari; to easy to flatter. However, this tactic is nearly impossible with justicars... they are more... how shall we say, regal in nature._

_"Anyway, I really didn't have to pull many strings to get out free of the charge. In fact I got an asari's home number, which I thought might be good as a stress reliever later. An easy fix and a night for the future, everything was bliss. Yet I was still bothered._

_"I was really angered by this, why did I feel concerned, or even worried? The friends at C-Sec clearly still liked me and the way that asari moved about showed she was exhibiting her curves to me, so why did I worry... no, fear?_

_"It took a short walk along the gardens inside the once in-process Commons Area of the Citadel till I realized what it was. It was not that I had killed the man, or that I feared I may be charged. No it was that I had not wanted to kill the man. If that merc had tried to kill me, and these incestuous thoughts intercepted my brain I would have surely died._

_"This worry brought me back to the days when I was part of a military strategist group. But you wouldn't want to hear that now would you?"_

* * *

The skies of Omega were marred with the smoke of industry. Progress, technology, and freedom were all at a pinnacle that no city had ever attainted. The images of asari strippers echoed purple that draped itself over the whizzing sky cars. These flickering ebbs of seduction were but a simple bed sheet over the writhing beast that was its inhabitants. Flickering signals dancing in over the intricate expansion of airways were lost to those who did not have the proper code translators; though the flicker of lights could also be the marks of snipers, a merc waiting for his licensed kill. There is an old saying in Omega; to live fast you must die even quicker.

An echo of a beat shoots through the air. It was stirring, orgasmic; the type you enter into a dingy bar filled with smoke to find that perfect asari dancing. You know she's too good for you but you cannot pass up the opportunity. Her writhing form, sensuous features are like an oasis. Then, when you can barely stand she leans in, puts one finger to your chin and pulls you close. With a lick of her blue lips your tongue starts to beg for a taste. It is then she whispers, "Welcome home my love." Ya, that's Omega to a tee.

Smoke is like tendrils, long tentacles of beckoning. _You want to be here_, they say. _You want to stay. We will make you happy. Come to our bed._ Too many swayed by the luscious hips of an asari dancer, too many deprived of the need for control, too many begging for a chance to feel real and complete. In the end we all comeback to Omega once we truly have had a taste for it_._ It never leaves you, it always wants you again. It's never the want that drives man mad; it is the chance to be wanted. Omega is like a one way mirror, you see your reflection and feel accepted but at the same time you are scrutinized by outside forces looking in on your private masquerade. Private, that's a laugh. Nothing is private on Omega.

"What are you thinking operative?" The words sway me from the sensations of the city and cause me to turn to the speaker. Kirrahe is there, driving the vehicle with both his hands, only using one would be suicide here.

"What we are all thinking sir," I replied with a lucid tone. "The chance to feel Omega." He laughs and shakes his head. I return to the passenger window of the car, salarians never understand.

"I would keep your eyes on the window ahead if I were you, that image holds more realized potential."

I turn to the window with a glare; I am replied with an image of myself basked in the river of lights. "And what might that be sir?"

"Yourself," was the one worded reply.

I laughed and it seemed Kirrahe did not take it lightly. _Who cares?_ I thought with a grin, _I'll be dead if this works anyway._ I mean isn't that what it's all for? Sex, drugs, guns. All to end life faster? It seems that no one makes it past fifty nowadays. To hear that in the 21st century on Earth there were population issues... Heh, we are looking in a population decline. On the other hand possibly there is too many people therefore there are too many people who can die. I shake my head and try to rid myself of these thoughts. They are like cancers that grow inside the mind. It is a worm that squeezes their way into the tiniest pockets of doubt and despair. In the end it is the want for something greater. Something to shout aloud a purpose to it all. The dancing asari. The purple lights. The shooting mercs. The ebbing flow of the traffic. The beat that enters the mind, swindles it dry and begs... no succeeds in ripping you out of your world. What you are left with in the end is a rotting corpse with a forgotten name. Omega is a disease plain and simple; a disease that everyone wants and one we have created: complacency.

"You know the plan?" Asked Kirrahe after he ducked under another vehicle, he made no indication of slowing down his speed.

I make no indication of recognition. There is something hypnotising in this land of colours and dreams. It's hard to place; maybe it's a drug or a pheromone that attaches itself to the center of your pleasuring impulses. But whatever it is, it gets a hold of you. Sadly in the end it's all smoke and mirrors. Heh, the skies of Omega were marred with the smoke of industry... Wait... I've said this before haven't I?

I blink twice, the echoing sensation of the beat drifts away. Where am I? How did I get in a small hovercraft travelling thousands of miles an hour to god knows where? Oh ya that's right, I was forced here for my 'crimes'. No wait, specifically. Think Marcus think! What about your morning? I remember waking up. The lights of the eternal Citadel shone through my window. I dressed, went up to eat at some breakfast. It was shady little cafe, the little dangling wires, swaying at the motion of any passerby. Unifier's Gantry I believe the name was. From there I left and entered our headquarters to talk about the plan. Something to do with a deal involving Red Sand...

Oh that was why I was here.

Logic seems to lose all linearity here. Time seems to lose all coherency. In the end we become what they want us to be: slaves. Serving the endless tables of dancing asari, trapping souls like a moth to a flame... "Marcus... Marcus!" Kirrahe's voice jerks me forward. I shake my head and rub my eyes. Sanity is overrated.

I turn to Kirrahe and ask, "Oh, what did you want?"

The salarian commander gives me a look. "I thought you knew the plan?" I try to create words but I give up. The flashing lights continue breaking all thought and concentration. I hear the voice of Kirrahe again yet this time it is softer, more relaxed. "You haven't been to Omega in a while have you?"

"How can you guess?" I reply sarcastically. Blinking doesn't help; it only creates a darkness that weaves the colours around you into your nightmares. Omega isn't a safe haven, it's a trap.

"I know how you feel operative. Back when I was with the STG I had my first experience with Omega." Kirrahe banked left and then lurched the ship down a few hundred meters before straightening it out. "It seems like your mind does not become your own. Like you lose all touch on reality and what you believe in. It's systematic chaos Operative Tyson, nothing more nothing less."

"Isn't the entire galaxy?" I asked turning to the salarian.

Kirrah furrowed his brow and scratched his head. When his hand returned to the wheel he spoke. "We have to change that, bring order to chaos. If we are not the ones to change what are we? A slave, operating on the very fabric of hatred some of this galaxy is created on. Unity is strength, remember that." I sigh but he does have a point. Unity is what saved us from the Reapers... or was it just luck?

We stayed silent for a moment as I hear on the cars around us whip by, not caring about anyone around them. Nihilism screamed from their actions and I couldn't blame them, after the Reaper War everything went to shit. I had been given a second chance though, whatever that meant. "Why'd you choose me for this mission?" I asked tonelessly. Kirrahe seemed taken aback but answered truthfully nevertheless.

"They are radicals operative." I raised an eyebrow to this. Kirrahe smiled. "I did some digging. I could only find a few people who they trade with regularly and so I found that most of their dealings are with humans. Having you with me just makes it more legit to be brutally honest." I nodded slowly and returned to gazing out the window. There were still at least two more humans in our group who he could have picked but didn't, why? Kirrahe sensed my confusion and responded, "I wouldn't have taken you if you weren't a good operative..."

"Or a liability," I interrupted with a surprising bitterness I had not expected. Kirrahe gave a sigh.

"You know I don't care for what happened between you and the Earth Alliance operative. What happened happened and I cannot blame you for considering the safety of your crew over..."

"I disobeyed orders, I got fucked for it. We done?" The alarming simplicity to it even shocked me and I wanted to make amends to my outburst. In doing so however I would tarnish my pride, the last thing I had that was truly mine.

Kirrahe's gaze stopped and I notice his lips pressed tight in a thin line. He did not rub his scales nor did he make any motion of discomfort or acknowledgement. He simply said, "Yes, yes we are."

That same tone, direct yet complacent was the same one he used when he confronted us on the volus. He treated us like brothers, him being our father. Some would call it old fashioned yet it gave our unit a bond we had not felt in our entire lives. The military nowadays was only concerned with money dealt under the table, concerned with only 'success'; whatever the hell that meant. I remember what Thionan said about it all, "Why would they imprint the thoughts of glory into our heads if they were not loosing men? It's a cheap tactic. Cheap warfare, cheap deaths."

I remember asking Carman about it all. He was the type of person who'd always give his opinion of the subject at hand, even if you didn't want his opinion at all. He told me the chain of command was just rules to him. "Loose guidelines," he would reason with a smile. "In the military they tell you to fight, kill, murder, anything for victory. But when one person who is a bystander gets in the way they expect us to be the 'good guys'. We are neither saints nor miracle workers, that was what Shepard was and he clearly didn't obey any rules now did he? My point is that we are impossibility, we have to kill and yet we are bound in perimeters that tell how to kill. To truly do our job we have to become our enemy, get in their head, fight like they do. But we are never allowed to do such things. That's why our squad works. He doesn't care about anything but success, he gives us freedom." Kirrahe... who would've thought one salarian could bring together all these murders and lawless species together for a common goal? I guess that was the magic to him, the magic that gained us the most successes and the most hatred.

There was a roar of sirens. Somewhere someone had died, killed, or had exploded himself into thousands of little bits thus taking people with him. On Omega those were the only things that the police could possibly be interested in. For everything other than that they did themselves. I sighed, the world was too grey. The original black and white mentality had faded causing less discrimination and segregation. But with the sudden acceptance of an 'evil cop' the terms soon become diluted. It was impossible to judge someone on their appearance. Even so it is still impossible to judge a killer from a saint. Those trapped in a sinner's whims will be painted with the same brush. In the end we all become sinners. The ones who try to become saints die too quickly and too uneventfully.

There is a crash as a car in front of us bursts into flames. The hulk drifts downward into an anti-climactic whimper. That's what happens when we die; just a whimper nothing more. I looked to a sign we passed. The asari stripper danced, cooing with her silent commandments. She probably has children, a family. She fucked to live and when she got home her husband demands her greatest trade as well. I chuckled as I turned back to the front of the car. The moral grey saved and damned us all. Well it has to doesn't it? If not then it wouldn't be a 'moral grey.'

Kirrahe motioned towards the ground and the car swerved to his command. I squinted my eyes and noticed the small people below. They were insects in their own kingdom. Mindless soldiers accepting their continued existence... damn I'm getting preachy. I should really stop.

I looked to my outfit. Black suit with a black tie, classy and it makes me look rich. A white button down and pointed shoes are just icing on the credit cake. Though I hate the Citadel for its wrong doings, I do admit having them as an employer has some benefits. I looked to Kirrahe who wore a typical armour set. It was efficient, practical and expensive. If someone said we didn't look 'don't fuck with me enough' I don't know what would be wrong with that guy's eyes.

The car hovered around in circles above the dealing place. I wondered why Kirrahe did this until I saw the two armoured humans walk out of our meeting building and, with a few shots in the air of their pistol, scattered the crowd. It was effective and sent a message, quick and simple; just how I liked it. "Total disregard..." was all I heard Kirrahe say in dismay as the car lowered softly and landed with a sudden jolt. Kirrahe turned to me and nodded as he turned the engines off. From here on in we had to rely on our con. I swallowed hard; I hope Kirrahe had those men positioned well if anything went ass up.

The car's doors lifted above us and Kirrahe stepped out. I waited for Kirrahe to come to my door and open it himself. This got the scoff of the guards and a smile from me, being pretentious after all was what I was going for. We walked around the car and faced the guards. They wore helmets of silver and clasped their guns with shocking familiarity; I would not have guessed hired mercs had such talent. My salarian friend looked around and spoke, "You sure no one will come inside?"

The guard on the left spoke and I smiled as my guess on his species was correct. "Raven said this place is secure. What Raven wants he gets." Raven? Who the fuck calls themselves 'Raven' unless they are a pretentious bastard? I sighed internally; I guess these were no professionals after all.

It seemed my commander thought the same of the name as he took a bit to formulate his thoughts. I had to nudge him softly with my elbow to indicate my displeasure on his timeliness. He quickly apologized to me then turned to the guards again. "Lead on gentlemen, my boss does not want to waste time mingling in the open." The guards both bowed simultaneously and walked us inside. We both had small pistols strapped to our thighs in case of emergency and I doubt the guards cared about them. Yes there were benefits to being on the rough side of life, as there was for many things in life. I chuckled,_ moral grey again eh Marcus?_

We entered a small shop to which we went past the counter. I noticed the young salarian cashier, his head splattered open and his body slouching over the welcome table. I pressed my lips tight together and sighed, this is what we got for dealing with liars and whores. I always had a knack for expecting this type of warfare when dealing with gangs, yet it never helped me stomach it when the time came. It was the thought that it could be me, or Thionan, or anyone I knew. It was horrifying. But that horrified feeling also told me one thing, at least I was still human.

After a few doors and some eye scanners we entered a large warehouse. Boxes and crates stacked high to the ceiling. That said ceiling was glass, the reinforced kind that most stores now had. It would take more than a few high power rounds of a missile launcher to break that pane. My gaze came from the top of the building down to the center. In the middle stood a man, human I suspected with a black leather tunic on. He had black leather pants, boots, and matching gloves. To put the final touch on it all he had a leather mask that allowed his flowing noir hair to sway behind him. The only thing open in that mask was the eye sockets. They were blue eyes, deadly eyes, but most of all; intelligent eyes. In a line around him were a few mercs each with the same outfit the guards had, each member had a helmet over their heads, shielding their faces, preventing anyone to know who they really were. However there was a few that were exceptions. There was a bald human who did not wear a mask. Scars were running down his face and neck and he wore a leather suit similar to the man leading the group. This bald human had a long knife in his hands and he was fondling it like a mother to a babe. Three people over was a young asari, wouldn't put her past fifty with orange face paint. She also wore a leather outfit. So did a dark blue drell with eyes closed and hands clenched, probably praying to some god somewhere; drell were always pious folk.

The man in full black leather took a step forward and opened his arms wide. I did not know if he was smiling but his next statement betrayed that expression. "Welcome my friends. It is good to see you today. Now, this is in the dealings of Red Sand, is it not?"

Kirrahe took a step forward. "You are Raven?" I looked from the man in leather to the salarian commander. I sure hoped his guess was right for I could not back him up if he was wrong.

The man chuckled softly, almost as a coo from a bird. "No, that is the mantle I wear my friend. But you many call me Raven if it suits you." I could see Kirrahe did not know what to make of the man, neither did I. In military training they teach you to watch the eyes, watch the hands. He will betray his most valuable possessions by giving time and pause to it. Yet this man, Raven, only looked to us with this keen satisfaction. We could not possibly be this possession of his. Unless... no, that would be insane and paranoid. "But enough petty babbling. It would be rude for me not to show the collection I have obtained before you pay your hefty sum." I nodded stoically. The amount was around five million credits for six tons of Red Sand. It was a pricey buy but for someone with the right brains in the business could make double his profit back in less than a year. Unfortunately we were at the mercy of the device Thionan and I had picked up on Earth. Kirrahe had informed us it was indeed a signal to nearby terrorists and travellers. It was as a broad message for anyone who wanted the deal of Red Sand. It also listed other possible contact areas for other deals which was nice if this plan went to shit. _But it won't, _I thought to myself with a smile, _already this idiot has betrayed too much_. I could not possibly have known how wrong I was.

A large cart came out. It was rolled on the bed of blue pulsating light, it was the light of a biotic, a powerful one to by the look of it. The asari in leather had the lights echoing around her thin fingertips. Her gesture showed ease and more interestingly, boredom. It fascinated me to see her effortlessly move the heavy crate. Most biotics I knew would crack under that pressure, she was good and I hated the thought of fighting her. Raven nodded for it to be lowered and the crate did so. A loud thud was heard as wood meet concrete showing the true weight of the box. A hand swayed wide was the invitation Raven gave to us for the box to be checked of its quality. Kirrahe wasted no time in approaching the box. With ease he revealed a potency analyzer. He ran the device over the box a few times and when he was happy with the result he retreated back to my side.

"I trust you are pleased with the quality of our work?"

"You trust correctly," was Kirrahe's response.

A small chuckled escaped the lips of the man. "Excellent. I am very pleased to be of service to you both. You are again...?"

"Thomas E. Worthings," Kirrahe replied with a hand directed to me. "I am but his humble chuffer for this deal. The matters of business are so foreign to my mind I really would not know what to do at the first sight of such illicit activities. I mean I could be very well informed to hand them over to the police and get myself—"

"Enough!" Yelled the bald man. His knife danced in his fingers and I suddenly became increasingly nervous despite the armour beneath my suit.

Raven held up a hand which stopped the other humanoid in his tracks. "I am sorry for my companion's outburst, it shall not happen again..."

"It better not," said I. It was my first comment in this whole matter. It helped to give simple terms to signify your authority. Raven noticed it as well and bowed humbly. _This one is odd, very odd_, I thought to myself. _When was the last time a leader of a gang bowed to another? Does he even care about self respect?_

There was a pause as neither party spoke. A serine blasted through the air as a few gunshot pierced the night. No one in the room flinched to the harsh sounds of bullet meeting flesh outside the warehouse. At last someone spoke. "Now before payment is dealt with I would like to show you a friend of mine," started Raven as he headed back to the line of mercs. "He says he could help me negotiate a fairer deal with the likes of wealthy businessmen like—"

"This was to be between us and you Raven," interrupted Kirrahe, his tone increasing. "My master and I will not allow a third party to enter in unless requested on our terms."

Raven gave no recognition of the comment; however he did acknowledge it with his words. "Oh I'm sure you know him very well, especially that you hired him to find me. Isn't that right Kirrahe?" My eyes bulged wide. How the... how did he know... what the fuck was going on? Kirrahe too seemed rattled and disturbed by the unfolding events. There was a loud bang as the back doors of the warehouse swung wide and opened to a crimson car entering in and slowly lowering itself to the ground. Its shiny exterior was a contradiction to the atmosphere around it, but I guess that as Omega for you. It was then I swore under my breath as the doors of the car opened and a familiar volus appeared.

A wheeze came forth from the small figure as he hobbled over to Raven's side. "Good day Major Kirrahe, you too operative." _Fuck fuck fuck fuck, what the hell was going on?_ I gritted my teeth in anger. I thought Carman said the infiltration of the money was a success? No, the volus couldn't have known about that for he filed a burglary with the C-Sec. If he knew it was us then he would have called in the Council. But how... why...?

"Confused Kirrahe? I would be too if I were in your position." Raven's eyes twinkled in delight.

"You lying son of a bitch. You fucking-"

"Now, now Major Kirrahe," spoke the volus after another forced whine of his suit, "I trust we can all be civil about this. Mr. Raven here only offered me a better deal than you did. He gave me triple; no quadruple the amount you promised. I'm sorry for the betrayal but to be honest it's just good business right?" Kirrahe gritted his teeth. My teeth were already wearing from the strain I had put on them. Though my worry only increased. Why hadn't the snipers done something yet? Kirrahe had positioned them around this building hadn't he? They couldn't have... then it dawned on me. The bullets outside... the screams. Raven had used the atmosphere of Omega to his advantage.

I turned to Kirrahe. "Captain, the snipers—"

"Dead, I know." Those chilling words only brought bile to my throat as the uneasy ceasefire continued.

"Now with those unnecessary aces in the hole gone I shall let one of the players leave this area," spoke Raven as he motioned the volus to his car. Crates upon crates of money were being dumped inside and the volus could hardly move. I couldn't believe it either. Most transactions were done through electronic devices, but to go back to such primitive times as paper credits... Raven was old fashioned and I could appreciate that about him for what it's worth.

The volus could hardly move but found a way to turn to the man in leather and shake his hand. "Thank you Mr. Raven, thank you indeed! You will not regret this transaction, I promise you!" The volus started his waddle towards his car before he turned and said, "You have my contact information if you wish to do this again."

Raven gave a chortled to that a whispered beyond the volus' hearing, "Oh I doubt that." With those words the volus entered his car. I noticed how all of Raven's men had run away from the car. How very odd—instantly my eyes grew wide with realization as my eardrums screamed out in pain. There was a massive explosion of flame. Kirrahe and I shielded ourselves from the shearing heat that emanated from the blast. Crimson flames licked the ceiling as the men of the Vipers braced themselves from the blast. At least a dozen explosives were in that car, there was no way the volus could have lived. I turned my head towards the massive flaming hulk and there standing in front of it, unflinching, was Raven. The man moved his hand to catch a burning bill with his hand. Flames ate the paper money at alarming speeds but with a quick shake of his hand the flames died on the bill leaving his half ruined. There was a great laugh that filled the room that came from Raven and once it was done he turned to us. "This is what we gave ourselves up to after the Reaper War... so utterly disgraceful and shaming of the volus people." He crunched the bill in his hand and ash started to fall from the cracks in his fingers. He opened his hand and a draft let the crumpled bill loose in the smoke dancing in the warehouse.

"You killed him..." spoke Kirrahe in hushed tones. "You're a monster!"

A great laugh came from Raven. "Tell me now Kirrahe, if that man had been tried for treason in his home system, would he have been executed?" Kirrahe's silence only amused Raven further. "Exactly my point. Though we live on opposite sides of the coin remember that I am no stranger to justice, Kirrahe. Please do remember that before calling me a monster. For from your use of that phrase you would call a judge in a jury room equal to a mass murderer and they clearly are not the same... or are they?"

His last words were shocking for someone to utter. It was what we all had been thinking for so long yet no one had stood up against it. The Reaper War had bred a greater enemy, complacency and now this man stood at the head of it all, spitting in its face. If he had not threatened me so, I would have congratulated him, maybe even tried to talk with him. As such the greatest people were often your greatest enemies.

Raven had this fascinated stare. He was gazing at Kirrahe and after a moment of silence he shook his head and said, "Now we all know what must happen now Kirrahe. Tis such a shame to waste such talent. You were never meant to be paint on warehouse walls were you?" There was a pause as we digested these words. "But I do have a position opened for a salarian specialist in espionage. I am sure you could fill it nicely." A salarian wearing a helmet just like the other guards took and step forward and turned to Raven.

"Sir, I thought that I was the -" He could never finish his sentence as his head was crushed with the blue ebb of biotic powers. Emerald blood scattered about the room as his head became nothing more than liquid. The stub of bone sticking out horrifically from his pasted head quivered as he succumbed to gravity. The person responsible was the asari, her fingers dancing as the flow of her energy coursed through her body.

Kirrahe looked from the salarian to Raven in disgust. "I assume you promised him the same as you are promising me now. No, I reject your offer. It has no place in honour or glory. Your words are tainted with your actions Raven; society has no place for you."

The man in black gripped his heart with his hand and looked down in falsified anguish. "Oh I'm such a terrible person," he said, his words traced with sarcasm. "Oh what have I done? Murder, slander, hatred? Oh woe is me! I have been damned with the curse of hypocrisy! Or have I learned it too well from my government? The people who I trusted with my security and instead send money under the table to mercs and thieves to keep my view of reality untarnished! Since I have been deprived of these civil liberties I will give you a chance to reconsider Kirrahe. You're a good soldier and I would hate to see you well..." he looked to what was left of the salarian, "you don't need any description of that now do you?"

The atmosphere became tense as Raven's men grasped their guns. Kirrahe manoeuvred his hand to his pistol and I did the same. We both knew our chances of survival were grim but we might as well make one hell of a fight. Go out with a bang as the recruits would always say. To be truthful the prospect of dying in my sleep alone seemed like a much more appetising death. "It's been an honour serving with you operative," Kirrahe stated grimly. I looked to him and smirked.

"It's not over yet captain." The old salarian war veteran looked to me with pity, maybe he was sad that I had been brought into this, birthed into a society of hatred and spite. It all would be over soon.

"I'll give you till the count of three, just to be hospitable," said Raven with his usual charismatic wit. I knew would be getting my pistol pointed at first. My grin only widened at the thought of Raven's smug comments getting blown off just like his face.

"One." No one moved. The air was held taunt in the silence.

"Two." We all drew our weapons, mine we aimed straight for his head. I could see his brains being splattered and it was glorious. Then the next sound broke me from my trance and my mind was sent awhirl yet again.

"Three," said Operative Carman as he materialized right behind Raven. There were screams as the flash of Carman's omni-blade rang through the air and as the blade pierced the armour of a soldier who threw himself in front of his leader. Carman stood dazed just for a second at the death before him. It was a second too late as the powerful asari threw a bolt of blue light into him sending the operative rolling in the air and into the burning wreck of the volus' car. I could see his body ricochet off the car and disappear into the air as a rain of fiery bullets showered his last position. But I had no time to consider these thoughts any faster as my own gun lurched at the firing of its ammo. The asari was quick though and placed up a barrier to protect Raven and the soldiers beside him. My shot did not hit Raven, but Kirrahe's hit the outside men as their shields fell, sending them flailing backwards.

Kirrahe grabbed me and threw us down behind a crate as the buzz of bullets ran through the air. Sizzling things ran by my head and I found myself panting in exhaustion and exhilaration. "I couldn't take anyone out before we had to duck behind here," said Kirrahe between the blasts of guns around us.

"Carman took his sweet time though," I replied jokingly. Kirrahe did not seem amused.

"I couldn't see him after the shooting started. Damn I hope he's alright, that biotic is quite powerful." Kirrahe threw himself over the crate and fired a few shots before ducking back down. A blaze of projectiles streamed where he once was.

I twisted around to my left and flung my pistol out. Time seemed to freeze as my aim picked one of the mercs. He had an assault rifle and I could tell instantly I was outmatched, yet my aim was impeccable. A pull from my finger and a shattering of his shield was the satisfaction of victory got. I shot again and the spurt of crimson from his chest ensured he would be in the fight no longer. A sickening crack brought the speed of reality back into play as I pushed myself up from the ground. The cement where I once lay was now riddled with holes. The air suddenly became hot and heavy as Kirrahe ducked out again, one of the shots hit him square in the chest and sent him backwards into a few wooden crates. He ducked down just in time to see the wood above him burst into splinters. I wanted to crawl over but I knew it could leave me exposed. So I contented to duck out, fire a shot, and then return to my seated position. Rounds upon rounds of bullets pierced the sky and I thanked whatever god was out there that Kirrahe had pulled us behind a metal crate. The sounds of that biotic ripping the nearby scenery did nothing to help the imagination on what she could do to us if she was quick enough. I was just thankful that she wasn't that good.

"You ok?" I screamed as the air vibrated around us.

"Shields down, armour scratched yet I detect not sign of flesh wounds."

"I'll take that as a yes." I replied as I flew up atop the crate and fired a few well placed bullets, shattering the shields of a human. It dawned on me as I pulled myself down that Raven had recruited a lot of humans, asari as well. I spotted neither krogan nor vorcha. I didn't even see any varren. The only salarian there was killed earlier. It seemed the typical merc army was foreign to these killers. I would have made some smart remark about their aim but the crate exploded to my left causing me to be flung right and my shield to weaken significantly. I rolled over and held my hand to my ear, trying desperately to stop the ringing. I succeeded but only just. I guess there was no true victory here, only survival.

Kirrahe had returned by my side and now was on his knees. He was favouring his left slightly as he had been hit more to the right side of his chest. He whipped over and a few shots later returned to the ground. Another explosion sounded behind us causing me to wince with the heat. "We can't stay here much longer, the structural integrity of the cover we have right now—"

"Tell me something I don't know!" I fired back as my gun flinched under the strain I was placing on it. My ammo cartridge was out but I only had to slip into my back pocket to get another thermal clip and start firing again.

Carnage reigned with an iron grip; we were in its hot oven. It was only a matter of time before he were taken out and placed on the smiting block. Damn I hate my metaphors, always the most pleasant things I can think of. Why can't I make a metaphor about trees or the grass of a nice littler butterfly flying in the—another explosion sounded and I had to brace myself against it. I flung myself over to spy that Raven was no longer there. Well fuck that meant the asari was done with her barrier duties. I only had a few clips left but I knew she had become my prime target. Now where the hell...

The crate we had been using flipped upwards and us with it. We came crashing into the crates behind us. I felt my back strain as the heavy metal box was pushed onto my body. I found a way to wiggle out but to my pain a rain of shots was fired on me. I found myself running to some rickety cover but was shot in the leg and chest. I went diving into cover, my shield now all but exhausted. Strain we everywhere and my muscles were crying out for mercy. I could give them none, death awaited the merciful.

Worry seemed to clench my throat. Where was Kirrahe? I looked around the wreckage where we once were but found no one. Dammit, where could he be? I flung myself over my makeshift cover and was rewarded with a mercs head exploding. The cartilage of his brain upon impact went flailing into the ground. Bright red blood oozed out  
of the humans head as a wet gurgling sound was made. I was below cover when the thud of him hitting floor was made. It wasn't the sight of it that bothered me, it was that the odds of the same thing happening to me exponentially increased by every second. I have had only a few near death experiences in my life and I considered this one by far the worst. At least the last time had Thionan with me to make jokes. Speaking of which where was the bastard? I thought he was heading the sniper team and covering our asses... shit. The thought of his demise hit my hard, but not as hard as a stray rocket the exploded my crate and sent my barreling out of cover to my next shield. I found none and was greeted with a blast to my ribs and a bullet through my thigh. I howled in anguish as I sent out a line of suppressing fire. It worked and only just as I forced my shot leg to launch me into my next cover. I was searing with pain and the soft crimson oozing from the scratches on my head and holes in my body did little to ease the feeling.

I looked around and noticed Kirrahe, he had engaged a merc hand to hand. Lifting my head I noticed the quick and brutal punches Kirrahe was throwing, ending in his hand grappling the mercs head and snapping his neck like a twig. I cringed, never would have thought that salarian capable of such atrocities, this was war however, where men became animals to survive. I returned to the lessons in my Alliance training. Mercy was for the weak.

Kirrahe slide into a nearby crate. I looked to him and saw green blood dripping from his mouth. His shoulder had taken a direct hit and when he was not firing his pistol with his right arm he was clotting his wound. I yelled for his attention and he gave it to me. "What the hell is the plan Kirrahe?" I screamed. The ferocity of my words seemed alien to me, maybe it was the pain from my leg and my side speaking, I did not know.

Kirrahe pursed his lips together, fired a few shots haphazardly, and then spoke, "I don't know operative..."

"You don't know?" I cursed at those words and fired a few shots backwards before screaming out in pain. I gripped my side. Blood dyed my hand red. My breath came heavy. Darkness started to usurp my eyes. "There must be something we can do? Isn't there anyone we can call? Police possibly?"

"You don't think everyone else on Omega is trying that same damn thing?" Kirrahe replied as the crate cracked and buckled under the weight of the suppressing fire. The salarian looked around quickly, I did the same. There was no more cover nearby, once these crates went we were on our own and I knew we couldn't last that long without cover. A blue biotic impulse whizzed by my head and shattered the crates before me. I took a sharp inhale, the next blast would be right for my head. _They are toying around with us_, I thought bitterly. _This is just practice to them. Sacrifice, losses, all numbers. How the hell do you fight something like that?_

"We have to run for it," stated Kirrahe bluntly.

"Run?" I repeated, hoping that I had misheard. "I'm not sure about you Kirrahe but my leg has been completely blown to bits. I'm surprised I still have a leg left, let alone half of it."

"I don't need any smart comments right now operative. I'm not your friend and this is not some training exercise."

"Try telling that to them." Another explosion of hot flames licked beside me. I could feel the life draining from me and I knew that if we didn't make a move soon we'd be dead. I sighed, it seemed like the only option, I didn't like to admit it, but if he had a chance it would be in running. "Ok, I agree... do you have any ideas?"

Kirrahe looked around and squinted. A few bullets grazed my crate and I felt my heart skip a beat each time one whisked past my head. "We are near an exit. The doors may be locked but I'm sure a few precision rounds could break the lock... you ready?"

"Now?"

"As good a time as any." I held my breath and wiped my hand up to the top of the crate. I fired a few bullets but had to duck down to my weight being on my leg wound. I cringed in agony. Now was as good a time as any. Now was the time to fly or die. Heh, if I had to die it would be making a joke wouldn't it?

"I'm ready Captain, I just want to say it's been a pleasure serving under you and I mean that. That's not some near death sort of bullshit most men scream-"

"Marcus," interrupted Kirrahe with a smile, "my name is not captain, it's Kirrahe." With that he turned his pistol to the door and fired the shots. The door buckled under the weight of the fire and I cringed at the sound of metal upon metal. At last the doors burst open with the ring of freedom. It was the call to escape and Kirrahe's words were only the command to the beckoning. "On the count of three. One, two—"

"Three!" I screamed and duck out of my cover. I tripped over my own leg and hit the ground hard. Firing a few shots to keep them busy I pulled myself up and started to run again towards the door. My shields had recharged slightly and they held the piercing blows of the projectiles. I limped on, watching Kirrahe run on ahead. The salarian commander turned at the door and crouched down, giving me fire to let me through. But a rocket exploded beneath my feet sending me sprawling into wood. There was a crack of either wood or my back as I reeled in pain. I rolled to my stomach and with a last push lifted myself into a seated position. Bullets spewed from the crates around me bursting the wood into tiny shards. Some of these shards drove deep into my skin causing me to cry out in misery. I turned to Kirrahe who was screaming for me to go forward, I could not.

"Common Marcus, you can make it!" The salarian started to move forward but I drew my gun on him. I had sent the message clearly, if anyone was to make it out alive it was him. The commander stood there for a moment till the bullets burst through his shield and he could last no longer. With a stoic nod of his head he leapt from that place, the dust of the bullets meeting the concrete was the last remnants of him.

I sat there, bleeding out as the soldiers drew ever close. I pulled my gun out and fired a few shots. None of them hit. I winced in pain and started to see my vision fade to darkness. No, I could do it; I could at least take one more bastard out with me. I flung my gun out and fired again hitting one in the chest. The asari noticed me then and blasted a ray of blue light into my face. Once the blast reached me I was sent head over heels into the hard cold cement and the beckoning darkness.

In that darkness I heard the sound of metal snapping, wires oozing out steam and smoke. I heard the cringe of a great ship losing power and breaking under the strain of Reaper fire. "Hold on SSV Mackenzie! Jefferson, we need more slugs!" I heard a commando say before his body went up into flames. In that gloom the sound of my own words were nothing more than a dream. My voice commanding the ship, my ship rung out one last time, "This is the SSV Marianas, we are coming to help you SSV Mackenzie. I repeat we are coming to... mother of god... what is that beam...?"


	5. In Other Words

**Chapter 5: In Other Words...**

The horizon was filled with darkness. Everywhere was that impenetrable abyss, the endless void that beckoned the weak to the grave. It was also beckoned the strong to action, to spit at nature herself and defy all odds. Small flecks of light shifted about in this darkness and one could say they could be made out to be stars. Stars that danced about and shone in horrific agony. All life was a contradiction, impossible yet seemingly plausible all in same.

A ship flashed out of its FTL drive. It crooned under the strain of the jump and echoed the lost energy that whipped into the endless space. The ship was old with age despite its new exterior. The letters of its name flashed across, proud to show its name to the entire universe. This name was Normandy.

Down in the cockpit sat a man alone. He squirmed in his chair uncomfortably. The leather material of the seat had never been his favourite thing about the ship; actually to be honest it was his least favourite thing. Yet he endured it. He endured the heartache, the pain, the misery. A sigh escaped his lips as he turned to the passenger side of the cockpit. There was no one there. He had specifically requested it so, said that he worked best alone then made a sexual joke. Instantly he had the entire room alone. A chuckle escaped his lips, Specter Williams did not appreciate his sense of humour, or his choice of clothes, or words, or... wait did she like anything about him? He was puzzling this when a turian entered the room. He had a red and silver battle robe, at least that's what the turians called it. The pilot personally called it a dress.

"Hello Joker, how's the flying been?" He asked with his usual smile.

The pilot aptly named Joker replied with his usual wit. "Smooth sailing Garrus, it's was tough going through the relays now that they were 'fixed' by the galactic community. Still haven't worked out the kinks it seems. No major damage to report from that. However other than that she's handling like a charm."

The turian chuckled and started to sit down in the passenger side of the cockpit but was shooed out by Joker. Garrus looked from the chair, to the portrait of the synthetic woman, and finally to Joker. "Still sore about that eh?"

Joker shook his head. "No just don't like the fabric damaged. It was one hell of a bitch to clean and I don't see you very clean with that dress—"

"You can be honest with me Joker," interrupted the turian softly. The human pilot turned from him to the portrait. EDI was her name. The memories flowed back through him like a river, just as the tears did when she died. EDI, what a beautiful name that was, so pure and elegant. He swallowed back a tear, EDI a casualty Shepard had promised him would never be one. And where was he now, half dead in some chamber on damn planet. He had heard neither head nor tails of his past commander and he truly didn't feel like seeing him. _Well, that's a bit extreme_, he thought somberly, _I'd hug him and welcome him home then punch his face in for what happened to EDI._

At last Joker left his traced and returned his gaze to Garrus. What could he say to the old turian veteran that wasn't already said? "You know what I'm feeling," was all that came out of his mouth as he turned back to his consol.

Garrus' eyes softened even further. "In other words...?" He prodded. Joker sighed much louder than he intended. He threw up his hands in protest.

"What do you want me to say? That I'm feeling like shit? That EDI's death had probably been the worst thing for me since losing the Normandy? What?" Joker returned to his panel in a huff sending Garrus a strong verbal message, he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

After a few moments of silence amidst the synchronizing of mechanisms the turian spoke again. "You know, Tali promised her people were looking into it. Remember she sent the note of what personality matrix's you wanted. She's also got Miranda's Cerberus archives which my count for something-"

"It's not the same," interrupted Joker through his teeth. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to be having now. "I don't want a fake copy of her, I want her. You don't understand. The recent program Tali sent me... it's nice and all but it just isn't the same." Garrus sighed once again. _I'm doing a lot of that today aren't I?_ He thought somberly. Ever since the assault on Earth life hadn't been the same. After the battle amidst the wrecks of Reaper and geth ships the turian high command offered him a lavish suite, complete with all the turian woman he could ever want... yet this did not please him. He was a soldier by trade and settling down never seemed pleasing to him, at least not without Shepard there. Ah Shepard, the most wanted man in the entire galaxy. He held the most sought after secrets yet he could tell nothing. But to Garrus that wasn't the main problem with Shepard in stasis. No it was seeing Tali so heartbroken over it all. They had kept in touch and they still video messaged each other when they weren't busy. These chats were great until the topic of Shepard came into play. She would tear up and Garrus could do nothing to comfort her. At least Garrus realized he was doing something. He was carrying on the legacy that Shepard had started. Tali on the other hand, she was waiting for her lover to come back to her. She was powerless in spite of only a few centimeters of glass separating them. It was a painful situation and Garrus could understand completely what Joker was going through. Not that the pilot would listen to him though. _Joker the greatest yet most stubborn pilot who ever lived_, thought Garrus once again. _The only person who could ever get him to talk was Shepard... oh here I go again!_

The sound of footsteps broke Garrus from his thoughts. He turned to find a human female, dressed in the blue garb of a specter standing before him. Her hands were tightly clasped behind her back and her steps showed careful precision and thought. She turned to Garrus and gave a smile, only just though and returned to her stiff disposition that she held before. _Damn Ashley's all business and no part ever since she got her specter job... maybe that's because she's hiding how hurt she is about Shepard, or maybe she doesn't care I don't know anymore_. Garrus gave a mental shrug after his thoughts and listened in on the conversation.

"What's our ETA Joker?" Commanded Ashley with her usual placid tone. _Placid doesn't even begin to describe it properly,_ smiled Garrus.

"We just left the Exodus Cluster to the Hades Gamma. The mass relay was a bit dodgy but the FTL jump has got us to the system of Cacus. ETA? I'd say in a few minutes." Joker turned from his control panel to Ashley. "You sure this base is in Zayarter?"

Ashley looked to Joker in thought and then returned to the front of the ship. "Positive. The Council wouldn't like would they? Classified transmissions were located on Earth by a special ops team. It took some digging but some of our best managed to trace its origin to this planet. The special ops team has been sent to deal with the gang while we go in a take them out from behind."

"Doesn't that mean the special ops team is bait for this whole thing?" Asked Garrus, his mandibles flickered in worry.

Ashley scoffed. "They knew the risks with a job like this. Their commander is highly trained in suicide missions. We know him especially well Garrus; we've meet him before." Garrus rose and brow in confusion. "It's Kirrahe, he'll get it done," was Ashley's response to Garrus questioning eyes.

"I still think we should have warned the group, at least told them something before they walked into this. I mean, doesn't this open up possible ways for the gang to find out? This all seems way too risky..."

"I'm in charge here Garrus, if you don't like it back off." Her words were stinging yet Garrus knew the human female well enough. She had his back on more occasions than this one; he didn't mind trusting her here now.

"We are in orbit right now." Joker flashed his fingers on keys and instantly the ship entered battle stations. He flicked a few more buttons before turning to his captain. "Stealth system is working fine and everything seems to be in place. You want me to do a scan—"

"No I'm certain this is it. There are no ships in the vicinity right?" Joker threw some holographic displays around and continued his dance with the machine. He nodded as a reply. "Good, then I want to bring us down nice and easy, alert the Council team to go down and search the station; I want this to be quick and efficient." Another nod as Joker turned on the com and repeated the orders.

All the while Garrus stood back, slightly worried. He had approached the Council and the Earth Alliance on his possible captaincy of the Normandy. It was his goal to go and take control of the vessel, use it to police the galaxy in Shepard's honour. It all seemed so perfect in his mind, the Council however disagreed. They wanted their hand controlling the ship and while he couldn't think of anyone he'd rather want leading the ship than Ashley, he did hate the fact that she gave her orders directly to the Council. _Nothing wrong with that of course_, thought Garrus rationally. _It's just that we are leashed to galactic order; we can't do anything against the law to get bastards like this gang._ Garrus chuckled slightly. _Where's Shepard when you need someone to turn off the Council's broadcast message and essentially spit in their face._ His mandibles clicked in harmony and peace only for a moment. _I do miss him don't I?_

"You seem distant Garrus." Ashley's comment snapped him back into reality as he turned to meet her face on. "Don't you agree with what's going on here?"

Garrus licked his lips for a second before starting. "Well it seems all perfect but I wouldn't put those men down just yet. I'd do what Joker said and take a full scan of the planet. Sure it would take time but right now I'd rather be thorough than wrong. Lives are depending on this Williams."

"Don't think I don't know that Garrus. The special ops team doesn't have any credits with them; they are merely stalling for us. We don't have time anymore. The days of running and gunning are over, tactics and training is what saves us now." The ship buckled under the weight of the atmosphere but was clear through in a second. They were to land only a few kilometers away from the base, the Council's team was to take a shuttle there. In essence nothing was supposed to go wrong. _It seems everything's so calculated nowadays, so planned. It was always easier just to rely on instinct, but there's the problem with working for the Council; you can't be unpredictable._ Memories flooded through Garrus of the Omega Four rush, how none of them even knew a basic plan. _It was all running and gunning; hope and prayer that kept them all alive._ _Also don't forget Shepard's damn luck_. A chuckle escaped his lips to the glare of his commander. Garrus mouthed, "Sorry" to her and decided to not bring up the past again.

There was a moment of silence between the two friends as the squad gave the go ahead to Joker and the small shuttle set off into the horizon. _As the old human phrase goes; God speed_, thought Garrus with a worry. As Joker kept track of the squad's progress Ashley turned to Garrus. "We can only hope that the squad can backdoor these creeps before Kirrahe gets riddled with bullet holes."

Garrus turned and gave a smile. "Think positively Williams."

"I'll do that when I'm dead."

"You're as charming as ever Ashley," replied Joker with a sideways smile, the Specter however was having none of it.

"Get back to your post lieutenant." With a quick salute and an "aye aye" Joker went back his monitor readings. Here Garrus inspected Ashley more thoroughly. Her gaze was heavy on the screen, the lights danced around her chiselled features. Those eyes of hers... they showed thought and consideration. But when being born and bred in the military this hardly came as a surprise. Her attitude and no nonsense demeanor was also a direct sign of this lifestyle. _Maybe I'm just accustomed to it on Palaven, that's why I can keep my sense of humour._

"We are getting deeper in Specter Williams," came the voice of a soldier from the monitor. "The base is coming into focus and the anti-air turrets seem to be functional as expected. We are landing outside a few lengths; we expect to be there shortly."

"Very good captain, keep me posted on any further developments," was Ashley's reply. There was the background noise of the missiles flying through the sky as the troop landed. Joker turned down the background volume with a shake of his head. _I don't blame him_, thought Garrus. _He's probably seen and heard enough war to last him a lifetime. The very noise at the burst of a rifle even drives me a bit mad, then again I'm a soldier and he's a pilot. We deal with these things very differently._

Joker contacted the pilot to see if they made a smooth landing, it was indeed a success and the human pilot breathed a sigh of relief. "At least that part is dealt with; it's always a pain landing ships in tight spots. I should know that best." There was a boyish grin that was painted across Joker's face as he sat back with his legs wide and proud.

Ashley seemed put off by it but didn't remove the grin off of Joker's face. _Well that's good; at least she didn't assault him like last time. Maybe we all are coming together again like a family._ "We wouldn't have to worry if we got some more intel," fired back Ashley defensively. "By the way," she turned to Garrus, "why couldn't your 'sexy' blue friend get any information on this gang Garrus?" Asked Ashley judgementally. A sigh escaped the turian's lips; he knew that Liara and Ashley were never on the best terms. But even then would it kill her to act hospitable... maybe? Just for him? He sighed once more, he truly was doing that a lot lately wasn't he?

"I was going to see her recently, but she's busy Ashley—"

"With what?" She retorted viciously. "Is she still mourning Shepard? I bet she has that damn VI of his tucked away under her pillow. My god she's as bad as Tali—"

"Now you leave her out of this!" Yelled Garrus in reply. Tali and he had a special relationship. They were more than friends, they were comrades. Garrus had seen more battles through with Tali and Shepard by his side than with his own brother, and that said a lot. It was a tightly knit family and Garrus would be damned if anyone tried to scrutinize or break it apart. _It comes with being a turian._

"Why shouldn't I?" Started Ashley again, her face had contorted in rage. "It's been ten years Garrus! Ten long years and you think I haven't had my share of pains? We all have and it's foolish to think otherwise. But I know for a fact that I moved on two years after he died, no, maybe a month to be in fact. What about you, or Tali, or 'Liara'?" The tone in which she said the asari's name stung Garrus. "You've been mopping about for the past ten years while the galaxy has moved on. I mean for god's sake Joker has even stopped crying about it!"

The pilot turned right on cue (as per usual when it came to these things). "You know, I'm right here guys. If you want me to leave so you can metaphorically insult me behind my back and not just physically—"

"There's nothing wrong with grieving! Is it wrong to keep alive the memory of someone who guided you, gave you wings? No, no it isn't! I expected more sympathy from you Ashley but I guess that's what happens you have been raised in the military!"

Her eyes widened with shock and fury. _Shit I've really hit a cord this time_. "Oh aren't we a big fucking hypocrite? If I was obligated to drag you along I would have thrown you out of this airlock months ago, no, years ago! It seems we've been on this ship for a centaury in fact with how slow you take on grieving and everything else you do! If I didn't—"

"Specter we have reached the main chamber. Only turrets have met us, they were easy to dispose of thanks to the quarian in our team. Send my regards to Chancellor Raan on that one. Do you want us to proceed?" The voice effectively destroyed the argument completely.

Joker looked to the two fighting companions with a guilty look. After a few seconds of silence he spoke. "Now do you want me to hit the reply button? Or do you two want to catfight for a bit longer?"

Ashley's face grew instantly red but decided to hold her anger in. _Thank god for that commando,_ breathed Garrus, _for I was sure she was going to rip my head off in the next few seconds... "_I'm not done with you Garrus; we will have this discussion after this mission is a success." _Shit._ She nodded for Joker to press the button before she started her reply. Her voice lost all her hatred and instead held the calm cool collectiveness all specters share. "Yes commander you should proceed. Try and go into the suite. It should be right on top of the room you're in. The leader of this gang should be held up in there." There was a click of the receiver being cut off from their end and creating a moment of silence. No one moved and Garrus dared not be the first to speak for assuming he would be yelled at. Not surprisingly it was Joker who spoke next.

"So are you two going to continue beating the shit out of each other with your words? Or do I have to call down my officer's quarters to tell them not to bring up my camera." Ashley was about to say something before the receiver beeped. No one moved. Then it beeped again. Joker pressed the button and the voice of the commander came through once more.

"Specter there appears to be no sign of the leader or any personnel on this base." For a second no one said anything. "Specter...?"

"Hold on a second we are sending out scans. Joker!"

"Alright, alright I'm doing it!" Wined the pilot as he quickly pressed a few buttons and started the search on the ship's tracing sensors. There was a holographic display that suddenly appeared before them. A red sphere started to drift across the screen, the light blue indicating the Normandy's location. At the end of the search there was a loud metallic beep indicating it had found nothing. The map zoomed out to a wider search of the planet yet half way through the readings an error message came up. "Dammit, there's too much interference on this planet! The atmosphere is so damn thick..."

"So you can't scan anything quickly?" Order the specter.

"No, sadly not. It would take too long to do a proper search and we don't have that time."

The specter gave a heavy sigh and nodded her head for the retransmission to begin. "Commander?"

"Yes specter?" Was the reply.

"We can't get a clear scan of this planet. Is there anything you can use to search the immediate vicinity?" The human specter bite her lip in agitation. _We all are on edge,_ worried Garrus internally. _This mission just got a whole lot more complicated._

"Yes, yes I have a panel before me. It seems to be functional; I just need to turn it on. I'll get some -" The transmission cut off with a sickening electrical whimper. Ashley lurched forward and started yelling in Joker's eyes. His form tightened and he yelled back complaints and apologises. He started to do what he did best, press buttons until his eyes grew wide and his face became pale white.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, oh SHIT!" He screamed as he deleted some of the screens and created a few more. With these quick calculated movements the ship jolted awake and started to rise. Garrus had to steady himself on Joker's chair as Ashley was sent backwards into a wall. She gave a squeak of displeasure and started to grab the wall, pushing herself to Joker.

"Why the hell are you leaving? We still have men on that base and I'm not going to leave them over a small storm—"

"This isn't a storm Ashley, this is a bomb." There was dead silence from the three comrades as the ship's hulk started to groan in strain. "There's a nuke going off and I for one not going to stay here and watch it explode!" There was another jolt as a shockwave sent the ship a few meters backwards. _Thank god the stabilizers are working, _thought Garrus as the ship again felt another wave of power roar past it.

"I don't care if the whole planet is breaking apart we are not leaving them alone!"

"You will care if we are all burned to a crisp! Now I'm leaving and if have anything else to say feel free but I won't be listening." The ship started its ascent as the horrific wail of the planet screamed around them.

Ashley began to protest further but Garrus only shook his head. "It's no use; we have to think about the people on this ship." She looked to the ground in pain; _I know she wanted this to be perfect. This was her biggest mission in a long time and she wanted to prove herself. But getting us killed in the process is a trip I'm not up to. Not yet at least_

Another crash came behind the ship as the Normandy lurched forward. Joker cussed some more as he frantically tried to make sure the ship would not summersault in the air. He succeeded as the Normandy sped off through the atmosphere. The visuals of the base looked grim. There was smoke and dust ripping the metal and framework off the base. It pained Garrus to think people were still in there, their eardrums breaking under the strain. As the ship lurched on final time in its escape from the planet so did another bomb go off and another and another. Soon the whole planet was engulfed in the flames of nuclear warfare. Ashley cringed, not from the weight of the ship leaving atmosphere, but from the weight of her failure.

"You couldn't have predicted this, no one could've, "Garrus tried to reason. But it was no use.

Ashley looked to him with saddened eyes and said a soul crushing comment. "Shepard would have predicted it. He would've gotten those people out." In that silence and gloom the pristine hull of the Normandy sped away from the planet. The soft lights of the warheads seemed like they were waving goodbye, a distant farewell to the reality and life the soldiers on that ship had grown accustomed to. The peace had truly been shattered and it was only a matter of time before the universe would have to admit it.

The three comrades; companions; friends stared blankly at the screen. The planet was devastated; no one could have survived that blast. Thinking so wasn't optimistic, it was stupid. At last Ashley straightened herself and threw a hand of Joker's shoulder. He did not shrug it off which was a surprise to Garrus. _I guess she's finally getting into her leadership role. _"I want you to contact Kirrahe's squad, tell them that they knew we were coming here. They must have been set up."

Joker's quick fingers opened up and com link, yet after a few tries the link instantly evaporated in the crackling sound of dead air. "What's wrong?" Questioned Ashley with worried exasperation. _She obviously has had enough with the problems on this mission. So have I as a matter of fact._

"The com's down. There must be some sort of interference running through the area." There was a pause as Joker checked his assumption. He slammed his hands on his console in anger when he was proven correct. "It seems the signal is being blocked."

"Dammit!" Ashley lifted herself from her leaning position and ran her hand through her hair. "Is there anything we can do?" Joker shook his head somberly, that was all the answer she needed. After a while Ashley sprung up, as did her orders. "I want you to patch us through to the Council."

Joker raised a defeated brow. "Why?"

"I want them to contact Omega, see if the authorities there, hell anyone can get that team out. Tell them we will be there as soon as we can, it shouldn't be too hard hopefully—"

"Ashley," interrupted Garrus as she started to walk out of the cockpit, "you know Omega; we won't be able to get to them in time."

Ashley looked down for a moment, and then lifted her head with her eyes betraying a fierce determination. "Maybe, but I will sure as hell try to save them!" With that she started a run out of the room as the door slid open to her command. With a thud the doors closed again behind her leaving Joker and Garrus alone.

Another sudden impulse of the ship sent the two males forward slightly. With a sigh Garrus looked to his human friend and smiled. "Just like old times eh?"

Joker's face lit up at the turian's comment. "Just like old times."

With that, Garrus was alone. Ashley was coordinating soldiers, Joker was flying the ship, Chakwas was preparing the medical bay. _But what am I doing? Nothing, sitting on my ass with my hands under them. I'm so useless._ Garrus leaned back on the wall and looked up. _Maybe she was right; maybe he was stuck in the past._ He closed his eyes and blinked once. At the end of that blink a smile grew on his face until the clicking of his mandibles could hide it no longer. _Maybe I'm not useless; maybe I should pay Liara that visit I have been promising her..._


	6. The Offer

**Chapter 6: The Offer**

_"Yes, indeed my life as a military tactician taught me much. How to hate, how to envision pure evil in your enemies, how to essentially become an ideal. The ideal is simple: justice. What is 'justice'? Is it a force for good, evil? Think of all the people who have used justice as their mantel. Are the all good? No. Are they all saviors of the universe? No. It's a cheap magic trick that they show us, something to appeal directly into our sensitivity. People fight in war to 'help', to make a 'difference'. No I'm not talking about the generals or the politicians; I'm talking about the people on the ground or in the air, the people coordinating the assaults. To me they are the real humans and everyone else falls by the wayside and become nothing more than machines. But it seems our leaders see it the other way around and we all know what happens to machines when they've outlasted their usefulness."_

* * *

The horizon was filled with darkness. Everywhere was that impenetrable abyss, the endless void that beckoned the weak to the grave. It was also beckoned the strong to action, to spit at nature herself and defy all odds. Small flecks of light shifted about in this darkness and one could say they could be made out to be stars... wait, those weren't stars. I focused and was rewarded with bright streaks of grey through my vision. Is this what heaven was like? It was pretty shitty to be honest.

The darkness cleared and started to swirl like smoke. Dots of painful glimmering objects seared through the darkness causing me to press my eyes tight together. _Wait, I have eyes?_ I compressed and loosened my eyelids and realized that I was not dead. _Well, that's a relief_, thought I. _Or is it?_ The world started to shake and I found myself opening my eyes to rays of sunlight. It twinkled and caused me to close my eyes again, it was too bright. I started to squirm and moan, every part of my body burned. _Maybe I'm a star now, reincarnation? No, I'm defiantly not religious and even if I was that's a salarian mentality, not my race's._ My eyes opened again and the brash fog dissipated to a dull ceiling. _Oh that's so much better_. But I took the compromise for what it's worth and decided to move my head. It took effort but I managed to turn it to the right. On my right was a life support machine sending a steady pulse. _Good, now that I know I'm stable I can do much more rigorous activities._ The pulse increased suddenly and I sighed audibly. _Me and my big mouth. _I decided to try to move the other side and managed to painstakingly maneuver my head to the left. There was a window in the background sending beams of light through. I was on a planet that was close to a star I imagine, that or I was in a place that had extremely powerful lighting. _So, defiantly not Omega then_. I shifted my perception to the foreground and spied a small table. On the table stood a picture of some person before a tree, a female I imagine. She was a human from my guess and from the leaned back on the tree, she seemed relaxed. Her gaze was upward with her short black hair waving in the breeze. It was cut short too her ears, which betrayed a military background to me. The whole scene had this impenetrable feel to it all, like a dream you never wanted to wake up from. Beside the picture was a glass of water and beside that was a pitcher of flowers. I strained my eyes and noticed that they were white roses. _Such impossible plants just like us. They are a symbol of love on one hand and are painful to grasp on the other._

I started to wonder where I was when a sound came from my right. I jerked my head towards it and found myself wincing in pain. The sound came closer as I pressed my eyes tight together in pain. In my punctuated agony, I felt a hand upon my face. It was smooth and elegant, something I had not expected. There was underlining metallic nature to it all, yet I could not complain as it was all so consuming.

At last I open my eyes and before me stood a human woman. The lights caressed her soft features and created a luminescent glow around her. Her skin was slightly tan opposed to mine and I found calm tranquility in her crystalline stare. Her brunette hair was in waves, I doubt curled for they were not too defined. There was just an overwhelming flow to her body. The hand that lay upon my cheek started to leave but I grabbed it without a second thought. My right hand clasped strongly upon her slender wrist begged to be comforted longer. I would've made some snarky comment, something sexual most likely yet the words could never form to coherency and I found myself saying, "Don't go." Those pleading tones were not native to my hard military exterior and I could tell she noticed this. Yet she nodded to my request and sat by my bedside, crumpling up the alien white sheets.

There in that moment I soaked up her features. Perfection could be the word for it. The perfect tan colouring of her skin spread evenly across her body. Her eyes in perfect harmony with respect to her nose and her lips, oh her lips. They seemed like they could draw you in and never let you go. Those lips started to form, as if she was ready to speak and I shook my head to it. I did not want any words to taint the moment. She was like a siren saving me, the thirsty sailor, from drowning in the sea. It all seemed so perfect yet so utterly real all the same. You would forgive me for thinking I had died.

"Your name..?" I begged once more, her features were like a beacon to a lost soul. For one such as I who had been wandering in the darkness for so long, her features betrayed nothing but freedom to my weary heart.

She paused for a moment, her eyes glancing around the room before turning to me. "I think it is best right now that you relax and sleep. You've been hurt very badly and I would be a terrible nurse if I let your condition degrade." With that her arm escaped my grip and softly caressed my leg. It was the one that had been shot through and her touch seemed to evaporate all the pain. With her other hand she was using to steady herself she stuck out two fingers and pressed them against the top of my eyelids to close them. With this action complete I heard the soft hum of her voice as she lulled me to sleep. I welcomed the darkness and the beauteous voice that guided me there.

Suddenly I was in a court room. Well, it was a makeshift court room to be honest. The scene was draped with loose cords and broken shafts. This was a city that had been Eden Prime, the new location of the human politicians and leaders until a permanent home would be created. The scene was completed with a few officials, a small gathering yet I was a small man in the grand scheme of things. These kind of occasions only happened to 'little people'.

"Marcus John Tyson," rang out my name from the standing official. This was strictly a military matter so therefore there was to be no political intervention. This meant no lawyer, no judge and no jury. The admiralty board was to be my executioner if the crime permitted it. I highly doubted that but this was post-war, people were on edge. "This hearing has been created to decide the fate of your actions above the space of Earth on the final assault..." the words drifted off. I knew what they were talking about. While he droned on I looked around the room. I spied Hackett dressed in countless metals and badges. That man was a damn hero and still is. If I wasn't so deep in shit I would've shook his hand with pride. As such he was technically the one who screwed my ass over.

The scene shifted forward in time through cesspools of smoke. The admirals had moved their positions and now my fleet organiser was speaking on my behalf. I never liked the bastard and he clearly felt the same about me. "Rejected the prime orders of our unit," he went on to say. "Jeopardized the safety of his crew and the safety of nearby ships by intervening..."

There was a flash of white light. It came from a bright spot light beside the standing official. The light broke through the smoke of memory and made me excruciatingly aware of my feeble body before them. "Marcus John Tyson has been tried and found guilty..." the word appeared before me and reverberated with startling frequency. The letters broke into a thousand pieces and I cringed before its conviction, "for the crimes he has committed on galactic date 2186..." the numbers sprung up as the letters did and formed a barrier between me and the officials, "shall be sentenced to military confinement on the accounts of..." the words faded as the scene did. My hands were still in chains behind me. I tried to free myself but it was to no avail. I screamed out, could anyone hear me? Nothing. I was alone in the dark. I tried running but only found myself bashing into an invisible barrier. Blood trickled down my nose as I tried running in the opposite direction, again I was sent upon my back. I tried again and again, each time being reflected off an invisible cage. This dance continued till at last I was too tired to stand. I fell to my knees and started to weep blood and sweat coursing over my wrecked form.

Then came a soft sound, a voice from the shadows. It was high in pitch; thoughts of the old Earth operas came into my mind. Even then I could not place the tone and pitch, it was as if a dove had started to sing. A melody carried it forth on the winds of freedom and it rang aloud and proud in my ears.

_The war looms again_

_The drums sound the march_

_To death_

_To life_

_To eternal grace_

I wanted to stand, to find the source of the sound yet I found myself unable to move. The course of solitude had wrecked my will and I could no longer will myself to believe anymore. Everything around me was but shadows.

_My heart aches for you_

_The lonely soldier_

_Through death_

_Through life_

_Through eternal grace_

In the gloom appears the outline of another being.

_Come back to me_

_Come back to me_

_I want to hold your soft cheek again_

The outline grew stronger and its sides became more pronounced. I saw the shadow become a salarian. It reached its hand to me and spoke, "Come with me."

I retorted viciously, "What do you want with me?"

_Come back to me_

_Come back to me_

_This cannot be the end_

"I want to help you," came the reply. The features softened and I finally got a good look at the salarian as his shadow disappeared before me.

_I won't let it be_

"Kirrahe?"

I awoke again with a start. The sterile room welcomed me back to sanity. Wiggling about I noticed the horrid burning had dulled to a soft ache. _Well, that's one thing to be thankful for_. I turned to the life support machine that was hooked to my arm and noticed a fresh bag of pain killers that had been placed upon the hook. _So that's why I'm feeling at ease,_ I thought with a grin. _Nothing wrong with a few drugs to juice me up. _The voice I heard in my dreams started its chant again. I turned to its source and found my lovely siren sitting in a black leather chair, humming as she typed on a holo-pad. She turned her gaze to me and instantly stopped her song, her cheeks becoming rosier in colour.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," she started with a shy intonation to it. "I guess that's probably my fault huh? I'll stop if it's bothering you—"

"No," I interrupted, the grin still firmly implanted on my face. "No I would be the one at fault if I let a voice as beautiful as yours stop." A smile was birthed upon her face as she started to hum again. Once she started the second verse again her gaze returned to the holo-pad. I however found myself still staring. I could not tear myself away from body; it was all too inane to think I could. Had I truly died? If so why was I graced with this beauty? I was made a sinner, placed upon this plain to kill when others did not want their own hands stained. I shook my head, no; no I must be going insane. This was too real to be heaven. Yet her voice soothed me once more and I found myself utterly at ease.

I laid there for a while. The reverberating waves of music coursing through my ears. At last I propped myself upon my elbows. She saw this and instantly rose and started towards me. "I'm fine honestly," I said in a huff. "I can sit myself up." But as I did I noticed that my left hand was chained to the bed, simple officer handcuffs. I turned from this to her. That soft face now turned to slow anguish.

"I was afraid you would find out about that soon," she said with a gulp.

"What the hell is this?" I asked, my arms clashing from my arms desperate thrashing to free itself. My mind was racing, why was I chained here... no where the hell was here. "Where am I?" Was my next furious comment. My female companion sighed and held my hand. The touch soothed me, but it wasn't enough to dim my blazing questions. I tried to pry my hand away but couldn't, I was too weak.

"Don't fight me," came the smooth three syllable phrase. I looked to her in nervous anxiousness. There was a moment of silence, then me easing my muscles and dropping my hand down and placing it under her control.

"Alright," I said, "I trust you."

She gave a smile. From under the bed she produced another pillow. With her free hand she lifted my back up and placed the pillow behind me. She lowered me back on with a smile, her face on a few centimetres from mine. I looked to her with love deeply embedded in my eyes and I think she noticed it. Her lips formed an oval and kissed my forehead. The hot mark was imprinted there long after she left my face. "I'll be getting someone who'll explain this a lot better than I can," she said as she started to walk towards the door. "Stay safe m'lord." With that confusing statement she left leaving me alone with my thoughts.

The dreamlike ebb of the scene faded to harsh reality. The white walls became my prison, an expanse of empty space; empty time. There was nothing in that room that gave the slightest hints of life. The emotions that ran through me now were dry and the crystalline shell that encased me wore on my nerves. I was trapped, or at least I thought I was. I could never grasp the subtle hints of my humanity; to me I was a shell that needed to be filled. In fact the encounter with that female nurse was one of the first times I had ever felt truly 'alive'. But enough of that, I don't want to get too sappy now do I?

My head drifted to the window. The lights were softly decreasing into a night cycle. It was either that or the sun was dipping below the horizon. Yet I was absolutely certain I was on some sort of space station, especially since the light never grew too dim. I chuckled; even post flight space races feared the dark. It was an observation I had made on the Citadel and one that I had made now. Was it that creatures of evil came out in the dark, or our worst fears about ourselves that made us so afraid?

The sound of footsteps alerted me to the door. My head whisked around and instantly when I saw who it was I wished I had not turned. It was Raven. He sauntered over slowly. My hands tried to free me yet I was unable to leave. It was here I noticed my right foot was chained to the bed as well. "Sleeping beauty, how are you now?" Crooned the bird as he lowered himself to my face. I tried to punch him but my weakness left a sizable lag in my movements and Raven could predict and block it easily. "Now, now is that the way you treat the people who saved your life?"

"It is when they are slandering, murderous bastards," I growled in response.

Raven sighed dramatically. "Well yes I shall keep that in mind the next time I save your skin, but enough petty talk," Raven sat down on the bed and grabbed my wrist in a viper grip. I knew there was a soft smile under his face, there had to be, "let's talk about us as people."

"You're not a person," I spat with contempt. "You are nothing more than a disease."

"Oh come now Marcus," he said with a smile. "Was it not you who did not want to judge a man because he was mourning his son?" I paused my flailing... what did he just say? "Did you not say to a salarian doctor at the Citadel, 'Leave him alone, he only wants to remorse?"

I looked to him shock, possibly a bit of fury. "Who are you?" Was my command.

His right hand went to his mask and there was a soft click and a hiss of air as it unhinged from his face. There were deep red lines in his skin to where the mask had clung to. It looked painful yet the operation to remove it looked as simple as ripping a band-aid off. The mask dropped down to his lap and I could see his face full on. It was the man from the Citadel who had spoke against the crowd. The blue eyes sparkled in the fading light through the window. "I am a person who finds people sick who parade the mentality of control and order," was his reply.

"You..." I started, exasperated, "you knew me before the meeting at the warehouse..."

"Well I tend to feel it best when I know what I'm up against. What type of person you are, what you believe in, et cetera. I was very much pleased when I found out you were an enlightened individual Marcus. It made fighting against you all the more painful." He moved his arm towards my thigh and I tried to fight against him but couldn't. He lifted the cover over my leg to reveal the wound, red and sticky with puss and blood. There was a soft hiss of sympathy from Raven as he slowly placed the cover back on. As he did he started towards his own thigh of the same leg I was injured on. "Once I truly get to know a person, their beliefs, ideals, and hypocrisies then their wounds," he lifted his black leather pant leg to reveal a similar, almost identical gunshot wound to my own, "become mine."

I heard a gasp escape my lips as a smile rose upon his. He lowered his pant leg and then placed his hand back on his mask. "How... how did you know I was part of... how...?"

"I have contacts... no, friends are a better word for them. I have friends who I trust very dearly. They tell me where the church bells sing and the church mice steal. I know everything about anything and sometimes, I find out things no one else had even prepared for." He turned to his jacket and produced a holo-pad from it. He turned it over with calm eloquence; I could only wonder what he was so interested in. "Have you heard about the failure of the Citadel involving Zayarter?" I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Well, according to the news a mining accident happened destroying the research facility there. But my contacts, smart people who are capable told me it was nukes." A chuckle started to escape his lips but before it could heighten any further he stopped himself with two fingers from his right hand to his lips. His right hand returned to my wrist when he was done. "I should know about those nukes because I placed them there." What? "The device you found did indicate the location of various pick up spots for the deal. Each spot was far away from Zayater, a few hours in fact even using the mass relays. So, each location had a tracking signature naturally, a place in which it was launched from. Triangulate the impulse origins and you find where the signal was created," his eyes grew into a hideous ferocity, "this was Zayater. It once was an old research facility but I... renovated it for my own purposes. I lured them to that location and set off the nukes myself when they were in range. If they succeeded in falling for the trap then I was to be sent a message in my mask. That was why I smiled and laughed so often during our... wonderful conversation. It was also why I decided to bring in the volus, a perfect candidate for the mole who ratted you out."

"But he was just a figure for the true person who was inside our operation," I deduced through my teeth. "He was an excuse so we would not expect someone in our own operations, someone we were close to."

"You're not so dumb after all," chuckled Raven boyishly. "Yes you are correct in your assumptions. Tis a trap within a trap. I bet Kirrahe is finding out now, but since his recent... how shall we say failure happened I doubt he'll be doing much about it..."

"He's alive?" I questioned, again exasperated.

Raven nodded. "I wanted a witness; someone to testify to my might, otherwise the whole volus stunt would be a waste. It was why I asked my men to hold back a bit and try and let one of you escape." A finger from his left hand that now no longer was holding the holo pad was raised to his lips. "Now that you mention it, I planned on it being Kirrahe to escape. No hard feelings but it is better publicity if someone who's danced with death more times than once vouches your power. Kirrahe is someone less... tiny in the great military dance."I winced. The sting of command was brought forward again and I only wanted myself to be divorced from such practise. It seems once you're branded you can never escape. "No hard feelings though?" Asked Raven mischievously.

I stayed silent and turned my head away from him. He was just another man paying chess with our lives. A fool who thinks he can challenge the creators of the game. _And I'm trapped in his care,_ I though worriedly. _Wonderful, you really know how to pick em' don't you? Shut up brain. _I returned my gaze to the dark haired man. His face was now on the picture on my bed side table. His face, so drawn yet muscular betrayed nothing. The eyes, like arctic water showed no emotion only brutal logic. _He's an impossible human, that or a dying breed of tacticians. Man the military would love to get his hands on him. _"I only have one question for you."

A grin. "I only have one reply."

"Who was the mole, the one inside our operations who told us of our movements? I want to know his name." My teeth were barred as Raven's shoulders pulsed up and down in thematic harmony with his laughter.

"I can do one better, I can let him talk to you himself." A snap of Raven's fingers signalled another to enter the room. When the man walked in however I froze, my heart seemed to stop as I made eye contact with the mole. It was impossible, no... no it was real and plausible yet I could not believe it. The mole was covered in the garb of our unit, as if he did not give me the courtesy of showing his true colours.

"Hello Marcus, long time no see?" Said the turian as he walked through the white painted frame. Thionan took a few steps towards the edge of the bed. _The friendly turian could not possibly be a spy; no I was a better observer of character. I knew when a person could be trusted or not... could I_? The thought genuinely shocking to my system._ I have had enough surprises to last me a lifetime. _

"You bastard..." I spoke through barred teeth once again. "You fucking waste of skin... you murderous—"

"Now, now that is no way to speak to a comrade, let alone a friend." With a quick pat on my thigh Raven stood up after his comment and made his way to the door.

"He's no comrade of mine," said I. This caused Raven to turn around.

"But he is your friend Marcus; you should not deny the turian that." With one final nod to our direction the infamous Raven left without another word. The hiss of his mask clinging back on to his face was his only applause.

Thionan turned back to me and gave a reluctant smile. I spat towards him but it fell short onto the covers. The turian followed the spit to the bed and licked his lips in response. "Didn't think you'd be that pissed at me."

"You didn't think?" I turned my head to the window, obviously exasperated and infuriated at his response. "Yes Thionan, you didn't fucking think!"

"Now, now—"

"Don't you now, now me! You set us up! Murdered countless operatives all for what? A few credits? You're a fucking hypocrite and I do not speak to the likes of you -"

"I want you to hear—"

"What? How you killed them with your hands? How you took the lives of the people who you trusted, the people who trusted you—"

"I didn't mean—"

"Yes you did!" The definitiveness of my sentence took us both by surprise as we ended up staring at each other. The clock, analog surprisingly ticked with its slow toll. It was similar to the toll of the death march. Ever soldier had his death march and once he did he was truly classified as one of the troop. Your death march was always an impossible mission, one you knew you would never come back from. The mission would often end with you either alone on the battlefield, the last man alive or you with the enemies rotting corpse in your hands. It was a rite of passage, the most brutal kind. Krogan loved it. I found it distasteful.

"Will you let me explain?" Begged the turian with a furrowed brow. The sincerity in his voice was genuine, or was that the mask he had? I closed my eyes in pain; I could have fooled my entire time I knew him. This damn person was in the same apartment with me for god's sake! Yet I softly nodded and allowed him to speak. I owed him at least that much before I decided whether or not I should kill him. There was a deep sigh that came from his lips. I opened my eyes to find him rocking in his spot, his hands tightly clasped around the end frame of the bed. He was obviously at a loss for what to say. "I know," he started shakily before clearing his throat. "I know that you will probably not care about what I have to say—"

"Damn right," I interrupted. This caused him to wince.

"Yet I want to give you the opportunity to decide my fate truthfully, no lies this time." He paused for my recognition and I gave it through the unspoken word. "Let's get the really condemning shit out of the way shall we? The sniper squad I was in charge of. They did not die." Those words made me raise my brow. "In fact they were never at the warehouse to begin with." My eyes started to bulged.

"You little—"

"Hear me out Marcus! I promise you it will make sense! If they had been at the warehouse Raven would have dropped the ceiling."

I paused in my accusations. "What do you mean, 'dropped the ceiling'?"

There was a sigh that emanated from Thionan. "He had charges, high power ones at the corners of the glass ceiling." I was about to speak but he rose a hand. "I know what you are thinking, that the glass is impenetrable. I tell you it is not. I don't know how but he apparently got military grade equipment that used sonic vibrations to shatter even reinforced windows. Your guess is as good as mine to know how he did it, but I promise you Kirrahe's positioning of the men would have had them killed. If that didn't work then the entire premises was surrounded by mercs. Blue Suns, Eclipse, Blood Pack; again you have my guess on how Raven got them all there at once."

I licked my lips thoughtfully. _So he saved them?_ "So you got them out."

"Told them false information is a better, more accurate way of putting it. It wasn't a retreat, nothing to prove me being guilty of the incident. After all I was apparently killed in the shooting, so were you as a matter of fact. God I do love Prince's technique on creating mock disintegrated bodies—"

"Prince?" I questioned.

"He's a quarian specialist in bio-engineering. Apparently owes Raven a big favour from the rumours." Thionan brought his hand to his head and rubbing his spikes. "Don't we all?" Was his comment. After a moment of silence he continued. "It wasn't easy though, trust me. Finnegan hated me for leaving survivors. I had to phrase it to my weakness as a killer. That I could not allow any more blood on my heads. I had already killed a few who suspected me; I did not want to do so any longer." I nodded, there were a few unexplained deaths in our company and I always wondered what had happened to them. Now I knew. "I was lucky Raven agreed with me, otherwise I would have gotten Finnegan's knife in my throat—"

"Hold on a sec. Who's Finnegan again?"

Thionan was about to speak but decided to shut his mouth slowly. "You'll find out later Marcus, trust me. Raven wants you placed in the gang."

"I heard," I mumbled to myself. "And here I was thinking I was a prison of war."

A chuckle escaped from Thionan's lips. "You're that till you accept."

I pursed my lips. "That's what I love about you Thionan; you're so kind in setting me down before big information." We had a laugh there. It was brief but genuine. It made my miss the old banter we did back in the Infinity Unit. The name seemed so foreign now; I guess that's military life for you. Our laughter stopped as abruptly as it had started and now we began eye-balling each other again. After the silence had passed to a reasonable effectiveness I replied, "Why did you do it?"

It was a soft command and it seemed to take Thionan by surprise. "Why did I do it?" He reiterated to himself through his moist lips. The mandibles clicked in nervous anxiety as he took a deep breath in. "Well to be honest I agree with what he says." I was jarred. "Don't look at me like that; you know you're interested in him too. The fact that he's got so many people together, trained specialists as a matter of fact... it's damn remarkable. I mean, tell me where the nearest nuke and classified military hardware vendor is and I'll give you a million credits. There's something about what he says too... he's not crazy. I'm sure of it."

"He was the guy I saw at the memorial."

"I know. From the description you told me of him I knew it instantly. I actually called him after our meeting with Kirrahe and bitched at him for his carelessness. Raven never talks down to you... maybe that's why I like him. He never thinks you are his lesser. To him we are all enlightened minds trying to change the universe, to make the best of a shitty situation. It's odd but in a sense many believe his is our salvation."

I couldn't make any rebuttal to that, the only times I had a meaningful conversation with him was when I agreed with him and was too angry to listen. Not really good concrete evidence now was it? "So that's it then? You betrayed us for ideals and values—"

"You've said the same things I have about the government Marcus." There was an underline worry and anxiety in his words. _Is he afraid of losing me as a friend, or as an ally?_ "Isn't this what you wanted? To finally have control over your fate and help humanity, no, the entire galactic community—"

"Goodbye Thionan." The turian pressed his lips tight into a thin line as he walked over to the door.

There was a moment of him lagging before he turned back to me with pain in his eyes. "I hope you liked the flowers Marcus, didn't know how humans customs worked but I thought they were suitable." With that he left me. I was no stranger to arguments with Thionan yet this one stung the most. I was truly alone in my ideals, in my beliefs. I had no one to say, "you were right Marcus" only people to scrutinize me. _Why must I do this to myself?_ I slammed my hand upon my leg by accident and wheezed in pain. I swallowed slowly as another knock at the door brought me to its attention.

It was the women from before. "I heard you cry out," _did I?_ "Are you ok?" I looked to my leg; blood was seeping through the bandage. _Damn I guess I did do a number on myself_, I thought bitterly. There was a slight hiccup of an inhale as she brought herself over to my side and started to change the bandages.

Once she was done I called out to her. She turned. "You never told me your name," I said, not with a sly grin, but a lonely one.

She saw this and obviously felt pity for my wearied form. "My name is Geisha m'lord."

"Sing for me Geisha? Please?"

She nodded softly like a dove before starting.

_Your bags are packed_

_The storm is blowing_

_Come death_

_Come life_

_Come eternal grace_

_I scream and I cry_

_Fall onto my knees_

_Pray death_

_Pray life_

_Pray eternal grace_

_Come back to me..._


	7. How Could I Possibly Refuse?

**Chapter 7: How Could I Possibly Refuse?**

The bar was filled with blaring music and dancing asari. Amidst the chaotic melody of the drinking patrons sat two friends, a turian and an asari. He was drinking a beer; she was drinking in the information from her data pad. The turian took a long sip before setting it down again. His gaze was unfaltering towards the hunched over asari. _Well, so much for being useful,_ he thought with a sigh. "You know it's been ten years since I finally got you out for that drink I promised. And when I said I wanted to talk; I mean that I wanted to have verbal conversation Liara." The asari stayed silent. "Liara? Liara!"

"Yes Garrus?" Replied the asari smoothly as she entered back into reality with a shake of her head. "What did you say?" The turian threw himself back into his chair, exasperated.

"You know would it kill you to not look at that thing for at least a few minutes?" She looked to him with her usual blank stare. "For me?" He stuck out his lip and lowered his head all puppy dog-like. Liara gave a laugh as she lowered the pad, but her face turned quick from jolly to distraught.

"I run the biggest information business in the entire galaxy. If I falter, so does it. This is my life now Garrus, I expect you to know that since you were there when I took the job after all." He sighed and turned to the small box that was beside the pad. It was not too bulky yet probably a burden to deal with. _So why did she carry it?_

"Like that time capsule you have of Shepard? That helps you in your business?" She scowled and took it from the table to her lap so it was out of sight. She looked down to the box for a moment before putting it beside her on the booth.

"I also expect you to understand my motivation for that as well." Garrus felt the tang of pain from the asari and bite his lip.

He shook his head after a small silence had passed. "I'm sorry; I'm not here to bring grievances to this friendship."

A small chuckle escaped the asari's blue lips. "I think you're here for more than friendship Garrus."

The turian grinned in response. "Damn you're good."

"Only the best for the best business," she replied with a sly wink. They laughed at that for only a brief reprieve. The loud thud of a drunk alerted them to the bar. A turian lay across the floor, his arms long around him. The other patrons were laughing and even Garrus gave a chuckle at the desperate bartender who begged the turian to stand. He chuckled all the way till he got a glimpse of Liara's face. It was drawn with worry, pain, and anxiety. Garrus decided to ask her on it.

She looked to him with a plea but realized he deserved an explanation. "I feel... old. It's weird to say something like that, especially when I have another six hundred or so years left. But... I've seen the rise and fall of nations, the impossible possible. Is it not my time to leave?"She looked down to the monitor she had lain upon the table. "Even now my purpose is unclear... one should think these things logically at the end of one's life. But I'm just starting... I've already seen enough death Garrus..." The turian grasped her shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. She rested her head on his hand, forcing herself not to be weak.

"You can cry if you want you know," she looked to him with her sad eyes. "It's quite natural to do so. I know a few doctors who—"

"I've done all the crying I ever could Garrus." She looked to the surrounding area. The blaring music echoing around them. "Maybe you were right, maybe we should move on."

Garrus pressed his lips tight together in worry. With one movement we attempted to retrieve his hand only to fail. His asari friend's head was too firmly implanted upon it. Indeed even her left hand was now stroking his metallic fingers. There was a smile that crossed his face as he squirmed down the booth and replaced his hand with his shoulder to where Liara rested her head. His other hand smoothly glided across her shoulders and onto the opposing one. Her hand, which used to be stroking his hand, had now found its way to stroking his mandibles.

There was a moment of tranquility before Liara realized what she was doing and flung herself up out of his arms. Garrus held firm however and gave a smile. "You don't have to push away Liara." The asari turned from Garrus' face to the aisle their booth was off from. Three asari dancers walking side by side turned to her. They all gave a grin and started to giggle foolishly to one another. Liara felt herself not only blush but feel ashamed. She removed Garrus' hand from her left shoulder and stood up.

"I'm going to the bar to get some more drinks," she said tonelessly. "I'll be back." With that she left without another word leaving Garrus alone. He sighed, _even when I'm trying to comfort I screw things up. _He looked around the bar, dinking patrons trying to forget the horrors of war. It was their birthright according to the Council. Freedom for all races, tranquility amongst the highest order, safety for the smallest child. This was the ode of peace and the ode of complacency. But who was he to complain? He had a ship, crew, friends who were at his side constantly. Was it not enough? _Not for Shepard_, was the ominous reply. _It never was perfect for him._ Questions brought forth questions and answers seemed as distant as a new born star. Twas the price of peace; it was never easy.

Garrus was shaken from his thoughts by the movements of his friend. He cast a glance to her. In her palms were two drinks, one turian ice brandy, the other a cold human beer. She slide the beer across the table to Garrus who snapped of the lid with one flick of his wrist. "And here I thought I'd be having both drinks." A chuckle escaped his lips. "Never knew you drank Liara."

She gave a half smile. "Time makes fools of us all." The two friends stayed awfully silent. _Should I approach her now and ask about the mission? But she never would accept, she said so herself... unless. No Garrus that's stupid and that's degrading of your amazing character. Common think how should I approach this-_ "Garrus...?"

"Yes?" Replied the turian as he shook himself from his thoughts.

"About what happened earlier..."

"No that was my fault, I didn't mean to be like that," reasoned the turian commando. "Honestly I was only trying to make you feel better. The whole heart to heart thing wasn't really—"

"It's not that Garrus," interrupted Liara as she looked down into her drink. She had only taken one sip and already Garrus knew she had regretted buying it. "It's that I've never had that chance... you know, love." Garrus thought he saw tears yet they were wiped away before they could even have the chance to appear. "First it was with Shepard... then Tali came into his life and they became so attached. I have no trouble with Tali. She's like a sister to me, like you are to her. It was just that I lost him... it hurts you know?" There was sigh that escaped her lips. "Feron came but that really was only a fling, Shepard meant so much to me back then. But then with Javik I thought I finally had a chance. We had both seen war and knew suffering and maybe, just maybe we could be happy. But with him being away on Hackett's Expeditionary Force..." She trailed off and swirled the drink around in her glass. She took a quick swig and gave a scowl after. "I really don't understand how this is supposed to help," she said as he placed down the glass. Garrus pressed his lips together, how could he help? "I feel like it's pointless to be so romantically able when all I have is broken relationships to my name. Ever since I was a child I wished for a family, but now..."

Garrus reached across the table and gave a squeeze to Liara's hand. She took his willingly this time again and squeezed back. "I'm here for you Liara, same as Tali. We have been here since the very beginning." A slightly smile crossed her face as she continued to stare into the glass. _At least she sort of smiled_, reasoned Garrus with himself. _Maybe I'm not completely useless._

After a moment of silence Garrus retracted his hand and said, "Speaking of Javik and the Expeditionary Force, what's the whole purpose of it?" Liara seemed to perk up at that. Maybe she only wanted the subject changed from her self-doubts to something else.

"Garrus the Earth Alliance has issued countless press releases—"

"I'm not talking about what the Earth Alliance says," he interrupted with a grin, "but what is actually going on with it." Liara gave a smirk and reached for her data pad. Before she took it in her grasp she looked to him for his approval. Garrus gave a chuckle and a nod thinking she was joking with his previous statements. He would never know that she was serious in her movement.

She pressed a few buttons on the pad to reveal a long worded note she had. The movement of his finger suggested her grazing over the article of her desire. At last she stopped and spoke. "From what I've gathered in information the force was to go find dark space." Garrus raised a brow. "Yes, I agree it is strange. But they planned to find more about the origins of the Reapers, how far they went back, if there are more, et cetera. More specifically it is a planned trip into another galaxy." Garrus almost spat out his drink.

"What do you mean another galaxy?" He asked, wiping up the spilt drink. "Who's part of this expedition?"

Liara shrugged. "Javik for one. Maybe a few special ops friends I know. I don't really know much about it. Top secret from what the intel says. Admiral Hackett was the head in the project and is leading the Excalibur as the flagship of the mission."

"Excalibur?"

"It's a state of the art ship, massive in scope and size. By the Goddess it took four years for them to build and another year to test. That was with a prothean and the entire scientific community of the galaxy at their disposal." Liara put down the pad and looked up at the ceiling. The turian beside her looked to her drink, the ice slowly dissolving in the liquid. "It's amazing what we can create once the galaxy comes together."

"Those five years however were some of the toughest years of the economy, social structure, work flow..."

Liara looked down to Garrus and gave a reluctant smile. "Well, I guess nothing's ever perfect is it Garrus? Where are the Shepards of the world to right the wrongs of the universe?" There was humour flooding through her statement yet Garrus sensed the yearning. It was here that Garrus decided to get to the point of their meeting.

"Maybe we have to be the ones who stand for justice Liara." The asari looked curiously with furrowed brows at the turian who gave her a smile. "I'm assembling a team."

There was a laugh that came from Liara. She giggled at the turian's notion and when she was done and realized he was serious she gave a soft smile. "Who do you think you are Garrus? Shepard?"

Garrus took no notice to the playful bantering of his companion. "There is a large group of mercs, probably larger in strategic might and prowess than the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and the Blood Pack combined." Liara looked at him with a sideward glance. "They are called The Vipers and I propose—"

"Yes I've heard of them," interrupted Liara with a nod. "But I would not call them a 'large group of mercs'. They are more like children trying to play dress up Garrus." She gave a broad smile at that.

"Liara, when have you ever heard me over exaggerate these types of things?" Liara put a finger to her lips in a coy motion to which Garrus stopped her oncoming remark. "Other than the time when I'm drunk."

"Garrus," replied Liara humorously, "you've been drinking quite a bit of beer since we arrived here."

The turian looked below him and saw the bottle empty before him. He gave a chuckle as he shook his head in dismay with his hands held high. "I know what this looks like," he said with a comedic edge, "yet I promise you I am not exaggerating this gang. I witnessed their tactical edge when they had us on our back feet on our mission."

The asari looked to him strangely. "What do you mean? What mission... Oh, you mean the one Ashley was in charge of?" Garrus nodded. "I thought that was a success?"

"Common Shadow Broker," replied the turian with a grin. "You know you shouldn't be reading Council tabloids." There was a roll of the asari's eyes before Garrus explained further. "The whole thing was a set up. The gang apparently had nukes set up so that when we infiltrated the base we would set off—"

"Wait, they had nukes?" Asked Liara confused. He nodded. "By the Goddess... how did they get the weapons...?"

Garrus shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. The Council apparently had these guys cornered from the intel we got. Even the squad leader of the Infinity Unit was set up. He got the information to us and was supposed to run interference while we would essentially back door the freaks." Garrus leaned back, exasperated. "Ashley was pretty distressed by the whole thing and how thought out it was."

Liara frowned for a second before replying, "The leader was Kirrahe wasn't it? Did he make it out?"

"Yes he made it out thankfully. He got demoted the hell out of it but he made it out." Garrus lifted the bottle to his lips and remembering there was none left put it down with a sigh. There was silence between the two friends before Garrus realized something. "So let me get this straight," he began, licking his lips, "you knew who was leading a special ops unit of the Council, something no one has any information on except for people involved yet you didn't know about the nuke?"

This information was quite distressing to Liara as she ran through her diagnostics again and again on her holo pad. At last she threw down the pad in anger. Patrons seemed to glance over at them but Garrus just waved it off. _I hope she's alright_, he thought to himself. _She must be taking this breach in her security very seriously_. A few calming breaths later however and Liara began to speak. "It doesn't make any sense... I should see something that big shouldn't I?" She retrieved the holo pad. "I mean, I have everything they do right down to their laundry lists!"

"Liara," started Garrus slowly. "You're obsessing over this, it's not healthy."

"Having a faulty system is not healthy," she replied as she rubbed her head methodically. She looked to him with sudden realization. With a lick of her lips and sigh of worry she spoke to him again. "Wait they had a facility on Zayarter? How did they—"

"It was a previous installation. We only found out about that after scans of the ruined planet." Garrus took a deep breath. "The very fact that both the Earth Alliance, the Council, and you; the Shadow Broker did not know anything about his takeover of this major human facility and the purchasing of nuclear weapons tells us that this gang," he tapped the holo-pad with one of his metallic fingers, "is serious shit." Liara looked away. The beat had changed and with it couples had formed together and wrapped themselves in the comforting embrace of their love. Those who were the stalkers and roamers of the bar retreated to the tables to spy on other available single species. There was deep longing in the asari's eyes. Not to be the one at the bar table, but the one on the dance floor. "I know you long for peace Liara." She turned at his voice. "But there are times when we have to accept that conflict will ensure. Peace will not last unless there are those to challenge it. We have become too confined in our shells, too sheltered. People like this gang arise in these moments and we have to challenge that. We have to fight for peace and utopia when everyone is complacent in their own disillusioned shells."

She looked to him then back to the dancing lovers. "Do you want to break this up Garrus? Is that what you want?" The turian became nervous, was he losing her? "Is complacency so bad?"

"I don't know for sure Liara," said the turian slowly, testing his words. "What I do know however is that these people need to be stopped. Already people have died for this cause, I for one do not want anymore added to the list."

"Even if it means the death of those you care about? Do you value the lives of strangers over the lives of your own friends?" These questions dung deep into the turian's skin. _I'm just a little boy trying to follow in the shadow of his older brother,_ thought he as he stared at his asari friend before him. _Who am I to ask her of this?_ Then a sound came towards him that gave him hope. "What do you propose we do?" She was facing him now, her eyes bright with curiosity and wonder. _We've all changed so much, but there are sometimes I get to see the younger visions of my friends resurface_.

"We assemble the people who gave their loyalty to Shepard. These are the people that this would appeal to. The ones that know the stakes and still have it in them for one final mission. The ones who no longer have any sense of justice will surely enjoy the fun of another suicide mission." Liara knew who Garrus was talking about and a smile rose on her face at the thought of the rambunctious female joining them once again. _Maybe she'll add another tattoo if she joins_, thought Garrus with a smile. But a nagging thought hit him once more. Liara made a vow that she wouldn't give her loyalty  
to anyone anymore. It was her way of hanging up her coat, to run away from it all After a silence for Liara to digest the news she opened her mouth to speak only to be interrupted but Garrus. "I know what you're thinking. The answer is yes, I have already talked to Ashley on this and she is now proposing that the Normandy take on this mission to the Council.

Liara leaned back in her chair and gave a whistle. "By the Goddess Garrus, what did you have to do to convince her?"

Garrus gave a sly smile. "Once I set my mind to something, many people have a hard time saying no." Liara looked at Garrus humorously. "And yes Liara the girls can never say no."

In that instant the asari burst out into laughter and the two succumbed to the enthralling nature of laughter once more. It was here Garrus realized he had laughed more than he had laughed in the last ten years. That right here besides friends and (more importantly) family all his troubles could melt away. _Maybe it's good I'm finally doing something with my dashing good looks_. He chuckled to himself. _Bad Garrus! You don't want your ego becoming the death of you now do you?_

"So Liara?"

"So Garrus?"

"What do you say," he took the drink in front of her that was barely touched and swung the pale blue liquid about in the glass. "you in or out?" With that he took the drink to his lips and swallowed it. He felt the watery taste rush past his tongue yet didn't complain. _Alcohols alcohol no matter what the taste, right?_

Liara looked at the half finished drink when Garrus sat it down. She thoroughly examined it and crossed her brows in thought. At last she took the drink firmly in her grasp and looked deep into the contents. With a scowl she drank it down and smashed it on top of the table. A grin came across her face when she was done. "Well Garrus, you've known me for more than ten years now. What do you think I'm going to say, no? You know me Garrus, adventure's my middle name, if asari even have them." Her grin grew wide as she slid the glass to Garrus. "What can I say—"

* * *

"—how could I possibly refuse?" I was sitting up in the medical bed with the enigmatic Raven staring deep into my eyes from the foot of the bed. At last he threw himself from the metal railing and walked to my side. With a flick of his arm he drew out his hand before me and I firmly clasped it and shook it well.

"I'm glad you finally accepted the proposition my dear Marcus." With those words Raven gave a wide smile.


	8. In the Deep End

**A warning before this chapter. There is a scene involving rape here, it is not in graphic detail or gratuitous in nature (I hate when things do not have a purpose). There is also some violent depictions, yet again not too graphic. If this concerns you do not worry, you can skip over this one if you want, future chapters will only mention this event. If this does not bother you then continue on.**

**Again, this scene is not graphic or described in detail, just thought I should give a warning before you continued.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: In The Deep End**

_"This 'justice' caused me to comply with the day to day bullshit we all know so well in the military. Gunning down civilians who could possibly be terrorists, eradicating corrupt officers, faking suicides, et cetera. In the end we became the gun to which the government could hold. If we acted out of line or if a mission was a failure they called it a malfunctioning gun; never blaming the wielder of the weapon. _

_"It was when I witnessed a friend of mine act to save an innocent that I truly grasped what our place in the world was. We were asked to patrol a small sector of a colony. Twas an unruly warren with gangs who controlled the streets and ran the brothels. Though murder and rape ran awry in the streets we could not interfere. Young woman plastered to walls and young men castrated before us, screaming for our help. We could not comply. My companion however saw it differently. On our fifth patrol we came across three men pinning a young boy to the ground. These disgraces of creation had probably had enough fun tormented young girls and had moved to boys. Rape is a power play and often men could care less where their dick goes._

_"But this time it was different. My friend stood at the mouth of the alley and watched the unfolding scene. I tried to provoke him to move yet he stood fast. 'Murderous bastards,' he growled as he made a strut towards the men. They turned to him and, noticing his gun, growled in response. They knew our purpose their and our orders not to interfere, so they provoked my friend. 'You just want him all to yourself,' one said. Another replied, 'I bet you like the boys, that's why you're protecting them!'_

_"To this my friend gave no reply, only the sharp sound of gunfire. The three men fell before they could scream. I remember one of the bullets missed the throat an inch on one of the men and the man laid there in agony, blood welling in his throat. My friend, without missing a beat, pointed his gun at the man's balls and fired away. That sight I shall never forget. The boy ran away of course, did not thank us, and was probably too scared to say or do anything. My friend's only response was that we were to be the conduits for justice, that we should be the change we want to see in the future._

_"Too bad our general never saw it that way."_

* * *

Nothing much had happened in the universe while I was in my rehabilitation. That could have been considered a good thing since I was basically dead to the world. Though it could also have meant the holo-pad they gave me was faulty. Hmmm, things to consider when you are aligned with murderous monsters. No, I wasn't with them. I never was and I never would be. I laid back into my pillow. I only saw the tactical value of joining them. The amount of data I could collect would surely be a god sent to the Council. Hell I might even get a metal for this. I exercised the thought. Damn that would be something.

The past few weeks since my joining had been a boring time compared to my dreams however. I had received the benefits of all the men. Three meals a day, lodging, our own television, a holo-pad, full set of weapons, and the standard issue armour. I chiefly remembered a man making some comment on the brothels yet I could not catch most of it. I cared not for these things; I had eyes for only one.

And what a beautiful woman she was. Geisha acting as my nurse was a time to truly watch with longing. Her luscious curves filled me with hunger and her sensuous skin filled me with thirst. The first week I was graced with her continual presence (other than when Raven needed her, what for I did not care). Here she would lull me to sleep with her voice and bring in dreams of grandeur and love. The second week she came to deliver my meals. We would talk much briefer than before but her smile still made me appreciate her time with me. Every night she still would change my clothes and help me clean myself and my bowels. I was still weak at this time and she would often help me up to piss and wash me. The first time she did the task I was shocked at how easily she gazed upon my body. No shyness or worry, just her usual calm, cool elegance that filled all her actions. The male anatomy did not faze her, especially when I found myself aroused by her presence. It was the third week when she did not come to deliver my meals, only my cleansings. It was every night and now she had only come to help move me from place to place. It was fine and all but I stilled missed her hands caressing my naked body in the warm water. My rugged military hands never suited me well.

The fourth week was filled with me testing my body's capabilities. Geisha did not come to me often in this time so I filled the days with walking (more like falling) about in the room. The bed stabilized me, but only just as I would collapse to the ground and swear profusely. Self doubt racked my system as I found myself falling more than standing. We as humans take our bodies for granted. To be rid of the simple mechanical movements of our species was indeed a shock. But I persisted and finally was able to walk around my room with no difficulty. What did I do with my newfound determination you ask? I threw myself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Heh, I'm such a lazy asshole.

I laid there in my thoughts, the white walls as my only company. There I dreamed of moving out of the bed, learning about the gang, spying on them, and speaking with the serine Geisha. And so the fourth week passed rather uneventfully just like my younger years. Unfortunately, the fifth week followed the same trend as my life and became exciting. Shocking how I would rather go back to living in a cramped room on earth than seeing the stars. I guess the military does that to you. And so, on the Tuesday of the fifth week when I was walking about in my room Raven appeared to me.

His smile was the first thing I noticed for he did not wear his mask with his fellow members. He wore a purple gown that was obviously from some turian world. Only the high military leaders wore such distinctive colouring and lush designs. I could only wonder how he got it. "I see you're up and moving again my dear Marcus." He always called me by my first name. It was quite a shock to the system coming from the military yet his 'dear' I knew I would never be able to get over.

I nodded to his remark. "Yes, I am feeling much stronger now. You have wonderful nurses."

Raven laughed. "I'll be sure to tell Geisha that, she was worried sick every night after she took care of you. I had to even bring her in and show you soundly asleep to ease her fragile mind." Fragile mind? Now this was a peculiar thought, one I knew I would have to expand upon later. He walked up beside me and took my shoulder with his hand. After this he led me to the window, his free hand opening the blinds I had previously closed. Outside was the vine prison I now found myself in. The 'artificial light' I had deduced earlier was in fact a twin star system that gave the rich carbon atmospheric planet an eternal tropical weather system.

I sighed and Raven noticed this. "I don't like the heat that's all," I acted with a disheartened frown.

Raven chortled at my faux pains. "Don't worry my friend; we have plenty of bases that are not on such tropical worlds." The thought stung. It was not because of the climate; moreover it was over the fact that Raven had multiple bases. _This is becoming more difficult by the second. _

The leader took his hand from me and turned his gaze to my bed. Upon the sheets lay The Viper's uniform. A solid black cascaded across the fabric. There was a metallic glint off the cloth which made me question what substance it really was. Geisha answered that question for me and the way she said "It's just ghithur skin" made me question her sanity slightly. After all ghithur's are not only extremely extinct in the Umbra Lamina System (Raven's personal name for the system I now resided in), but are also notoriously hard to kill. I guess that summed up Raven to a tee. On the right shoulder of the suit were two horizontal lines. I was a lieutenant in this army and I cringed at the title Raven had bestowed upon me when I had only reached my third week with them.

The leader took his eyes from the outfit to my current clothing. I still wore the medicine gown I found myself in on the first day I awoke. A sigh escaped his lips. "I would have thought by now you would be proud of wearing our uniform. After all Thionan donned the gear on his second day." He pursed his lips into a straight line. _Was he seeing through my deception? Did he know I was not truly loyal?_ The thoughts swirled in my head. _Was I that easy to read?_

I walked to the foot of my bed. Taking the shirt in my hand I pressed on the Viper's symbol; a purple raven feather. It faced in the opposing direction the Infinity Unit's symbol ran. The flaming phoenix's wing was now replaced with the shadowy raven's and yet nothing had changed. I was still chained to my past. "I wanted to save it for a special occasion," I said after I ran my finger down the rough edges of the patch. "Call it an old soldier's superstition." I gave a sharp grin after that which Raven returned.

He took up the pants and threw them to me (which I caught easily of course.) "I have an occasion. Let's go." He walked to the edge of the room and leaned against the wall. His head softly rested on the white and turned towards me. I stood there for a moment, unsure what to do. A smile. "Come now Marcus; are you afraid of my sexuality or yours?" I looked to the suit and shook my head. Damn Raven, he always knew how to shut me up and get me to do things.

* * *

The halls of the base were similar to that of my room's. White, pristine, clean even! I was shocked by the cleanliness above all else. In my time in the military I have seen many syndicate bases as you could imagine. Most of them looked like the rear end of a krogan, some looked even worse. So how was it that Raven's base was cleaner than all of these, no, dare I say even cleaner than the Citadel itself! The thought shocked my greatly. If I was not under mortal peril I would have congratulated Raven on the aesthetics mirroring that of Illium. If I was an interior decorator I would have given him an award.

I followed him down a few winding paths that all looked pretty much the same to me. After a few metal doorways as my only landmarks I came across a few areas of notable interest that he showed me. A cafeteria, office, and medical room were some of the areas that stuck in my mind. We came across a door barred shut with loud moaning come from it. On the door it said 'Private Research and Development', Raven scoffed at that. "It's more like a 'discovery' than a 'development." We continued on from there. I was only wondering whether this was one of the 'brothels' the members so fondly talked about.

At last we came to a set of wooden double doors. It was odd and seemed out of place compared to the pristine environment around it. Raven noticed my confusion and shed light on it. "They said they wanted some 'rugged' features added to the base. My second in command, Finnegan, said that it would boast moral. Who am I to argue with moral boasting?" A smile crossed his lips, but only for a moment. It was when we started to depart from that place and a horrid scream of pain emanated from the doors that Raven's smiled turned to displeasure.

He turned to me. "I didn't do it." I raised my hands in defense humorously. Raven did not seem to get the joke as the scream sounded again causing him to throw himself at the doors and open with them with a ferocity I had not seen on him before. I followed him in and found myself standing before a horrid sight. It was an asari, her hands and feet strapped to iron poles causing her body to be spread open across the wall. It was not her position, but her body that caused the most displeasure. She was naked and the signs of cutting and bruising were evident along her body, especially around her private regions.

Men in the Viper uniform stood around her, one I noticed was Finnegan. He was the bald man I saw earlier at my capture on Omega. In his fingers danced a long knife and on his face danced a wicked smile. He was sitting at a table, feet upon it with humans around him laughing and throwing food at the asari. One man had a pipe in his hand which he was swinging around with horrid fascination. I could only wonder where he was planning on putting that pipe.

Her screams sounded again as a turian (thankfully not Thionan) started to kiss her body. She squirmed and screamed but was restrained by the tightening ropes around her wrist and ankles. Once the turian stopped he gave a smile. "Looks like we need to teach her some manners once more men." There was giggling and stiflingly by most of the people present. Here I noticed a drell off to the corner; he seemed to be meditating, how he could in this horrid racket I could never guess. It was here as a human started to pull his pants down and draw close to the asari that Raven's voice rang out.

"What the _fuck_ is this?" He screamed. The room became dead silent save the whimpering of the asari. Raven looked around the room. All eyes were on him, most were filled with fear. He walked up to her and slammed his hand against the nearby turian's face. Purple blood oozed from his mandibles as he was sent sprawling backwards into another member. Raven walked up to Finnegan, took his knife and proceeded to cut the asari down. Once she was in his arms he threw off his robe and handed it to her. She took it around her injured form with thanks and went for a kiss on his cheek. He shook his head. "No my dear lady, you should just be happy to be alive." With these words a venomous gaze was sent towards the operatives in the room as the asari stood shivering in Raven's arms.

No one dared speak or move.

It was Raven who spoke after the moment of agonizing silence. "Marcus," I looked to Raven, "first I want you to call down Geisha on your built in omni tool." Eying my left sleeve I noticed a few buttons. With a few well placed presses I unlocked the omni tool before me. Another few presses and I brought up Geisha's code. "Second," he said without missing a beat, "I want you to tell her what shit went on down here—"

"But Raven," interrupted the turian with a moan. Before he could get out another word a knife appeared in his right side. He stood there for a moment, shocked at what was protruding from his gut. At last he tumbled over and started to convulse. A nearby human started to come over but was stopped by the hand of Raven.

"Touch him," started the leader, "and you suffer the same fate." I turned to the poor asari who was now shaking in the arms of Raven. I could see in her eyes the fear that dwelled in her. It was now she was debating whether Raven's arms were the safest place to be at this point. "As I was saying," continued Raven after a beat, "I want you to get Geisha down here to help this asari. Tell her she will give her anything she needs or wants. Make sure she is patched up and healthy after this."

I nodded and called her. Once her friendly voice rang out on my omni tool I felt a tang of regret. Who was I to tell her such horrid news? I took a sigh and repeated the order word for word for Geisha. Her cheery disposition changed instantly at that, I did not need to see her to know that she had changed. She obviously questioned what was going on but I told her all was well. She took a sharp inhale after that and stayed silent for a moment. _I guess this happens more times than I thought_. "Ok," she responded to my comment after a moment, "I'll be down, whatever m'lord wishes." With that the com went dead and I returned to the deathly silence around me.

Raven nodded once the order was given. "Thirdly I want Jacobi to pull up his pants; we don't need to see his fragile pride hanging out for all to see." The human (who was obviously Jacobi) immediately had a reddened face and pulled up his pants. Finnegan followed his moments and returned to Raven, a scowl on his face.

"Common Raven," spoke the second in command, "we were just having some fun."

"Fun?" Echoed Raven viscously. This seemed to frighten everyone. "How about I strip you naked, hang you by your balls and let you swing on them upside down till you howl yourself deaf?" Finnegan's face lost its colour. "Then I'll take that bar in Hollow hands and shove it up your throat till you puke your intestines out." The whole comment was monotone, which was the reason why it was so frightening. Raven fully planned on implementing his wrath if he deemed the moment necessary. It was not the action that was horrifying, it was the possibility.

Finnegan swallowed hard. He licked his lips for a moment before standing up. The sound that accompanied him was the turian's screams as he bled out across the floor. "Raven, she's an asari—"

"So?" Fired back the black haired male.

"So," started Finnegan again with a smile, "she's into that kinky shit." A few members tried to hide their nervous giggles to no avail. Personally I found the comment completely out of line and that's saying something coming from me. Though my worries were put to rest once Raven left the asari's side with a squeeze of her shoulder before walking towards Finnegan. It was the master and the commander glaring at each other as one strutted towards the other. I saw the glint of a blade slide in Raven's hand and gave a gasp of surprise. Finnegan saw it too but it was too late for him to react. In the next instant a howl came from the bald human's lips and he collapse on the floor with his hands to his groin. Raven had cut off his balls.

The man screamed in agony as Raven towered over him, not a smile on his face only the malicious gleam of his eye. "Marcus," he looked to me deadpan, "tell Geisha she'll be cleaning up two people today. One is the asari," there was a pause for Finnegan to understand his predicament, "the other is Finnegan." Raven turned to his officer who was now crying due to the pain. "I want him to live through this. I want it that whenever a female takes down his pants she will see the horrific sight below and flee in horror. This man may never know what pleasure means ever again." Finnegan gritted his teeth and tried to form words but could not. His screams started to fade as he lost consciousness from blood loss. Raven's last words to him were as threatening as the first. "You're lucky Biashta wasn't here or else you might have lost your dick as well." With that Raven threw the knife into the ground beside Raven's head and he lost consciousness.

Raven stood over his second in command and looked around the room. "Anyone else want to make any smart comments?"

No one dared speak, except for the drell who walked up to his leader fearlessly. "My god there is no need for further bloodshed. Your point has been made; let us not be hasty in our actions that could create scars that last forever." Raven made a thin line with his lips before growling in a retort.

"Dammit Siphon you always know what to say at the right time." Raven turned from the drell to the people in the room. "Do you understand what went on in here? Do your feeble minds truly grasp the extent of this betrayal? If anyone entered this room they would discredit us, call us hypocrites and liars. Every single thing we have tried to accomplish would be for nought. Do you understand that?" Silence. "Any of you?" Again, no one spoke. "You are all disgraces and you make me sick." He turned to Finnegan and scoffed. "Lucky. That's what you all are. Lucky. Lucky that I spared you and did not kill you like the dogs you are. Now I want you to walk from this place with your heads held low and your hands held high. I may decide to ask you to switch the two; letting your head go high and your hands low. Or I may ask you to choose. Either way when you leave this place you will either lose your balls or your life." The gravity of the situation settled in for the members in the room. The drell did not seem nervous; I could only guess it was because Raven had decided to spare him this horrific treatment. But then again that was me surmising.

Siphon took a breath before speaking. "God, is it not wrong to go to such extremes for these men? I mean they seemed to have learnt their lesson—"

"No," interrupted Raven effortlessly. "No they haven't. They can leave this place with their pride tarnished or their life. Either way I will not allow such disgrace of life take place unpunished." Siphon gave a wide bow before turning towards the condemned men. I, being too shocked to ever move at this point was welcomed beside Raven with a wave of his hand. I lagged for a moment before returning to his side. Raven looked around the room and shouted his order, "Everyone responsible for this atrocity stand in a line. Those who were not may stand beside either Shade or Siphon." Shade: my code name in this organization. The fact that Raven had said it solidified my position amongst them. I was now part of the Vipers, not that I really had any pride towards it mind you. "Siphon knows who were the just and unjust, it was why I had placed him in this room prior to my departure." Raven took a breath and the men before him lost their own. "Those who lie will be subjugated for an immediate demise. And I assure you," he turned towards the now still turian, "it shall not be as merciful as that." Raven closed his eyes and gave a long sigh. After this he turned to the asari and beckoned her. She came without a second thought into his arms. He held her there, not out of lust but out of caring. "Now my pets," he spoke with a horrifying grin, "choose your fate."

A light flickered, accenting the taunt atmosphere. In that room the stench of blood and sweat mingled unpleasantly. The sweet scene of hormones mixed with the raw fear were too smells I had never wanted to smell. In this room however I was forced to. My throat was held tight even though I was not one convinced of such crimes. The fact that I was feeling this caused me to feel slight pity for the ones condemned. Only slight. A man stepped forward. It was the human Hollow. He looked to Raven with intelligence beaming in his eyes. If I had not seen his actions today I might have respected the man. He seemed kind and generous, but people's actions often betray their inner motivations. Hollow looked down to the floor and his hands were raised to the ceiling. He had accepted his fate and so gave his pride up instead of his life.

People started to file in around him. The young Jacobi did the same as Hollow. Most did. But a few raised their heads instead and to this Raven scoffed and whispered to Siphon, "Weaklings; I have no use for them." About five tried to get into the line with Raven and four succeeded. The one who was shooed off got a stern look from Raven.

The batarian started to sweat. "I had nothing to do with this, honestly! Siphon just hates my guts sir, that's all. Please understand I planned to leave this place once I entered—"

"It does not matter anymore where you were going," Raven said tonelessly, "for I control what you do now and I command you to beg." There was silence in the room once more. _Damn there's been a lot of that_. "I gave you an order dog; beg." The batarian looked around nervously and rung his hands together. It was the first time I had seen a member of that species so afraid. "What are you waiting for? Beg!" The word was spat out by Raven and the man before him retreated at the harsh tone.

He started to stumble. "S...s... sir... w...w...we all kn... know th... that doesn't w...w...w..." he took a breath in as he tried to get past the opening sound of the word, "work with you." Raven looked to the soldier and for a moment I saw pity in his eyes. The batarian saw it too and hope rose in his eyes. But it was his eyes that were the first to go. Siphon lunged out of the line and plunged two hidden blades into the eyes of the batarian. He screamed in pain but could only thrash about furiously in Siphon's viper grip. The batarian's torture drew on till at last he could holler no longer and his body grew slack. He fell to the floor with an unceremonious thud. Raven looked back to the last few men who fell into line quickly after that. The black bird's hand was shown to all the men present; he would kill without a second thought.

Everything was in place when Geisha entered the room. She brought with her a cot rolled in on wheels. I could tell her surprise when she entered the room and saw the bodies yet she held her blank disposition well and went up beside Raven without a single order. "Who do you want me to tend to first m'lord?" She asked tonelessly. I noticed how many of the men in the line started to eye her with horrid lust. Jealousy and anger grew in my heart. _How dare they look at her like that! _

"I want you to take the asari. You know what to do." Geisha nodded to that and took the asari into her arms. The poor blue alien went into the perfect arms of the human female and started a soft cry. Geisha rubbed her head methodically and hummed softly. _The universal medicine; song._ "Siphon?" The drell turned to his leader and nodded. "Take the loyal ones here, save Shade, and put Finnegan on the cot. I want him alive and well by the end of this. I expect he'll be up and ready to operate in a few days?"

Siphon nodded. "Yes, you know how Finnegan is," replied the drell without emotion. "But this does leave the matter of the contact on Palaven—"

"Worry about your own problems right now my drell friend," interrupted Raven with a smile. "I'll worry about the rest."

"Don't strain yourself."

"Trust me, I won't." A smile from the drell as he revealed a pistol that was strapped to his thigh and handed it to Raven. With the pistol in his leader's hand he motioned towards the men who were not condemned to lift up Finnegan. As the lifted him blood splattered across the ground painting a trail behind the injured male. Once the officer was placed on the cot they wheeled him out of the wooden doors. The squeak of the rusted wheels was Finnegan's only anthem as he was lead out the doors and into the pristine atmosphere outside the loathsome room. Geisha was about to leave as well but looked to Raven as if he knew her next order. He told her he did not have one and that she should just be thankful with what she has. These words were as confusing as his reply to Siphon. It was like they were all speaking in codes I had no knowledge of. But my worry was not that I did not understand them, but I would soon learn them with due time. I shuddered, being able to understand someone as unpredictable as Raven was a scary thought.

Geisha was the second to leave with the asari and I could tell who would be the third. I turned to Raven and then to the men in a line. Sweat ran down their faces in fear. Some wondered about the pain, others wondered about their demise. In the end they shared one simple thing; devotion towards Raven. It was shocking that these men would do something like this for their leader. Then again Siphon calling Raven "god" was enough to no longer doubt the undivided loyalty towards Raven.

"You may leave now Shade," Raven's voice broke me from my thoughts as I turned to him. There was a small smile on his face, obviously fake and yet sincerer than most. "Sorry this tour didn't go quite as planned. Though I'm sure another officer will have no trouble continuing what I have started." He patted my shoulder as his gaze turned back to the men in front of him. I gulped. What was next was inevitable and I for one did not want to witness it. I threw my hand into a salute and left the room as quickly as possible. I did not know if Raven giggled at my haste, what I did know is if he did he did not continue the laugh for very long.

Leaving the room I was greeted with cool air washing over me. I had seen the darkness within men's hearts. I was not surprised with this however, these were gang members after all... and yet, Raven had punished them. He had maimed one of his best officers to show his displeasure. I though hard for a moment. Was Raven right? Was how the Council danced in complacency wrong? Should we take up arms? I shook my head. These were the thoughts of a new recruit in the army, not a seasoned veteran. But as I thought this a picture of Geisha entered my head. How could someone so pure join something so evil? Again questions came to me like my witty replies. Was what Raven was doing really evil?

A scream of agony burst into my ears as I shuddered in response. "They get what they deserve." I turned to my right to see Thionan before me. The turian gave a smile and outstretched his hand yet I did not take it. He was hurt. "Still angry about my lies eh?"

I smirked. "Still jealous of my good looks?"

He laughed. "Ya, I suppose I am." Another shot followed by another scream. We stood there for a moment together, staring blankly not knowing what to say.

I tried to spark a conversation. "So... ah, what's your codename?"

"Codename?" Scoffed the turian. "We have no such things here." I raised a brow. "Raven calls them our true names. It is the one stolen from us when we are born. Every baby cries when he or she first awakens. That cry is the child trying to say its name. But the child is shut up according to Raven. Forced to conform and comply with its mother and father. Though the child may detest the name it will be yelled at or forced to suckle to comply. He says the universe has become like that suckling babe and it is our turn to be the one child that screams in protest." Thionan looked about as another scream pierced the air. "He says if we start the revolution people will be sure to follow suit." I nodded my head in thought. Raven sure was a strange one wasn't he. Thionan turned to me once more. "But if you really want to know they call me Chameleon." I gave a laugh and Thionan seemed hurt. He shrugged, "Well I thought it was a badass name. Zealot seemed to love it and she's pretty hot—"

"Wait, wait, wait, Zealot?" I ask humorously.

"A turian heavy weapons specialist." For a moment Thionan looked to the sky in thought, lost in the tides of memory. I, however, was trapped in the horrid earthly tomb of gasping and shrieking men. He shook his head and gave a grin once I tapped him on the shoulder. "Though that's not the only 'heavy' thing she specializes in wielding." I choked on a laugh and started to chortle. Thionan gave a wink which was too much and we started laughing together in joyous harmony. It was like we had never left the Infinity Unit. As our happiness drew to a close another cry thrashed the air around us. The turian beside me lost his humour and sighed. "It's a shame they couldn't follow the only rule of The Vipers. Come on Marc... I mean 'Shade'. I've been asked to show you arou—"

"Hold on," interrupted I as I motioned towards the wooden doors. "What was the rule they broke?"

It was like Thionan was trying to make light of the situation, trying to balance the tide of morose horror that had plagued my first outing outside my medical chamber. However the more he tried to smile, the more obvious it became that he was faking it. At last he sighed and looked to the doors sadly. "The rule? Heh, the rule is: never fuck with Raven." As if on cue a man started to scream but was cut short.

He obviously had his head held high and his hands low.


	9. The Warmonger's Desires

**Chapter 9: The Warmonger's Desires**

_"My friend was dragged out to a public court martial. It was simple military efficiency at work. No banners, no bibles, no swearing under some 'god'. It was just you, the judge, and the prejudices in that room. Heh, no wonder my friend was screwed, he was fighting against thousands of years of military tradition._

_"'Your name?' The judge called out. My friend responded, 'Timothy Saxon, sir.' The judge looked confused at this moment. THE Timothy Saxon? The one who was awarded thousands of metals? The one whose career was set in stone from the moment he first held a gun? HE was to be put on trial? I found the expression of the judge and jury humorous. Indeed judging someone of his stature had that effect on people._

_"But that was only a brief reprieve from the rest of the trial. My friend's superiors drilled protocol, the military officials drilled their gaze, and all these hings drilled at my heart. How could someone who protected a young boy be persecuted so? So he killed a few men, yes that was out of line but they were part of gangs. They were murderers and rapists. They embodied the very purpose of our plight in the city. So why did the military officials criticize my friend? It was only after his conviction to solitary confinement and the stripping of his titles that he bestowed his knowledge upon me. It was only a sentence as he passed me by, but the power of those words made me shiver in fear._

_"He looked to me with those dark eyes and said, 'I only beat them to the punch; they are angry I did a better job of killing than they did.' Only now do I realize how right he was."_

* * *

Another week passed and yet I had not seen Raven for the entirety of it. Geisha said he was cooped up in his office for all those days, contemplating the recent betrayal by his second in command. To me 'betrayal' was a harsh word. No doubt Finnegan went over the line with his treatment of the asari, but it did not warrant this much attention. Raven seemed to over dramatize it. That is only my opinion though, as this whole account truly is.

Though one could say the brief reprieve from Raven granted me a smoother entry into the lifestyle of the gang. It shocked me how cooperative everyone was. Each man and woman played their part and I was at first horrified by the small children wandering the halls. Thionan (or should I say 'Chameleon'?) only laughed at my confusion. "Would it shock you if I told you that Raven takes in orphans as well?" Orphans? The thought did not bring bile, only a pang of regret. Who was this man who dared to be so bold as to decide the fate of the young? He was someone confident, thoughtful, and indeed slightly arrogant. The idea made me smile though; it was a nice change from the Council's way of approaching things.

These approaches were evident as I met the core officials of the task force. Chameleon, no Thionan, explained how each of them had a specific role to play. He was the infiltrator, the one to go into enemy camps and steal information. Finnegan controlled the militia, Prince controlled the tech, Zealot controlled the weapons, Siphon was the spy, and Geisha doubled as the nurse and 'entertainer'. The thought made me sick when I found out.

"Probably 'entertaining' some lonely soldier," was what Zealot said around her food when the question of Geisha came up. I was with a group of the core officers in the mess hall. Thionan was to my left (the very person who brought me here because he thought it was a good idea to 'mingle') and the cautious quarian Prince was to my right. Across from me sat Zealot who was eating her meal with a curious fascination I could not, and still, cannot place to this day. I squirmed in my chair. Geisha a whore? Impossible. The siren who haunts my dreams could not be the one who slept with the monstrous beings around me. And yet deep down I knew she did.

Prince could see the pain beneath my furrowed gaze and he spoke on it. "It is fine Shade," he spoke with his thick accent, "I'm sure she thinks less of it than you do."

"That's exactly my point," said Zealot as her mandibles clicked with the smack of her lips. _Damn Thionan sure knows how to pick em'._ "She's well acquainted with her title. By Palavan, she probably sung to you the first time you got here!" I felt a pang of betrayal course through my heart. Zealot could see this. "Ah, so I see you've fallen for her song. Crafty bitch she is." Her grasping hand rose to her lips and a bite of amino spiced venison was chewed off by her teeth. "There's a reason we call her Geisha around here. Heh, Raven does have a sense of humour sometimes, especially since she sees him the most." Another bite was torn off as I digested these thoughts. What did it matter that she was used property? It doesn't matter where my dick goes, does it? The pains continued as I realize that I indeed did care about Geisha's habits. _I'm such a damn softy_, I thought around a bite of my own meal.

Thionan, who had surprisingly not spoken much so far decided to interject. "I've heard some pretty fucked up shit about what Raven does to her actually." I raised my brow. "No, nothing too extreme like good ol' Finnegan and the asari." A chuckle came from Thioanan's lips. "I heard he dresses her up in some Alliance uniforms and puts a black wig on her." He leaned back in his chair as he continued. "I mean, he could easily order her to cut her hair short and dye it black, but he doesn't. Mostly because all the males are so damn crazy about that hair of hers." There was a chuckle from Thionan's lips and a pain in my heart. I was one of those males. It made me sick. After a slight pause he shrugged. "I dunno, it's just pretty fucked for my taste."

Zealot, who had just finished her meal, interjected. "Whatever you may think about the whole matter he's still our commanding officer. I'll follow him to the end, whatever his weird ass fetishes are." With that she hammered her hands on the table and got up. A calm gait expressed her demeanor as she walked through the hall before slamming the entrance doors as she walked out. Everyone who was watching her quickly averted their eyes when the door slammed. They probably did not want to be caught staring, I for sure didn't.

Prince gave a sigh. "She always has to make a show out of everything, doesn't she?" Thionan only shrugged his usual reply to most comments. Deep in his eyes however I did not see such a vibe. There was tension, sexual or not I could not deduce by the way he stared at her. It was an interesting observation to say the least. Around the room I glanced and spied no one of importance. Well, to be honest I did see Siphon in the corner. He was meditating again. Thionan mentioned how he believed in some religious sect, that the one true god would come down from above and be incarnated into a physical form. This form would... blah blah blah. Caring about such things would only bring about my opinion. Doing so would cause debates and I hated those. I guess it was because I often lost in them.

We talked for a bit longer about customs and certain rights. Prince was a shy sort of fellow yet gave off a very 'know-it-all' demeanor. The way he would fire his opinion in broad terms then shrink back into his seat gave me the impression of a volus, not a quarian. Then again 'Mr. Nefna' wasn't really all that volus. No, he was more 'asshole' than anything else. If, of course, assholes are a species.

A sound broke my thoughts as I turned to the asari standing at the entrance doors. The doors were pulsating with the blue ebb of the biotic power and with a nod of her head the doors swung closed. Her eyes glanced across the room, not hatefully, but calculatingly. She needed no words for her actions; she justified them pretty damn well.

Beside me Thionan gave a chuckle. "I guess I was wrong about Zealot liking to make a show," I turned to him, "I think Biasheta's the real diva here." Biasheta? I had not heard the name before and I commented on it through hushed tones.

Prince answered my question. "It means 'guardian' in the old asari tongue. The language may be dead but she uses it quite effectively." I gave a questioning look and he gave a chuckle. "Oh, did I not mention she barely speaks the common tongue?" _Great_, I thought to myself_, a_ _wise cracking turian beside me and a wisecracking quarian_. _I'm going to kill one of them by the end of this, aren't I?_ I shook my head at my thoughts. _Damn I'm dark. _

I noticed the ebb between her fingers, dancing about as he glared at the people in the room. I recognized her face and I realized that she was the biotic on the Omega capture. _Shit she's one serious killer_. Lucky for me she found her way to our table and made a motion at us to follow her. Thionan gave a smirk. "You back from your mission already Biasheta? Damn, I thought you out of everyone would be more thorou—" His sentence was cut short as he threw his hands to his throat and started to splutter. The faint blue of power twirled around his neck.

She looked to him bluntly and motioned at us again. I looked to Prince for answers, but he seemed too freaked out to comply. _Shit why do I always find myself in these situations?_

I managed a weak, "We will come," and she seemed to accept that. Prince uttered the same, to which she turned to the turian in her biotic grasp. He could only nod softly. In an instant he was thrown to the ground, choking and coughing. The asari did not show emotion, she did not even acknowledge the being at her feet.

A finger jabbed the air as it curled towards its perpetrator. Biasheta wanted us to come with her and from what I had seen I did not dare refuse that proposition. We knew well enough not to argue with her and rose from our seats. Walking ahead Biasheta gave us a chance to raise our fallen comrade from the floor.

After a few seconds of squirming in our attempt to help Thionan regain his breath, he tried to speak. He failed of course, he only coughed a little while longer and we waited for him again. At last he seemed to be steady. The first thing he said was not his usual snarky comment however. In fact, there was a deep underlying regret for the words that seemed to flow from his lips. "I fucking hate asari." I looked from him to the asari who had just left the hall, the doors still swinging to and fro from her powers.

For once I did not argue his point.

* * *

The craft was old and worn. It looked like an old turian cruiser. I did not make this deduction however, it was the quarian Prince. He scoffed at the design, calling it an artifact that likely belonged in a museum. To be honest I thought it was at most three years old. Prince however, saw otherwise. The exterior did not show for the interior however as once we entered the entrance hatch Prince exclaimed, "At last I return to my technological roots!" I will admit the technology was impressive. New equipment fresh off the markets were plastered across walls. But with Biasheta's quick pace we found ourselves soon on the main deck. Prince whispered to me that the ship seemed to be entirely one deck. To that I 'politely' replied with: "Shut up."

The asari, in the black garb of our gang, motioned for us to take a seat and that we did. The seats were leather, black in colouring with a single stripe down the middle of each. The strip was purple, matching our uniforms perfectly. I snickered, Raven and his aesthetic eye never ceased to impress me. In the wings were harnesses of sorts, obviously to keep us implanted in our seats. I sat down and wrapped the harness around my shoulders. Thionan was about to object but Biasheta gave him a glare to which his hands went up and he sat down wordlessly.

Around us there were at least a dozen more members. Some were asari, human, hell I even think I spotted a krogan. I made a mental note to talk to Thionan about that. However, I did not however see Finnegan. Out of the personnel I recognized I spied Siphon and Zealot. They sat beside each other across from us. He was meditating once again and she was meditating on which weapon she would use. In one hand held a pretty fancy assault rifle, in the other a shotgun. Thionan stifled a remark in my ear, which made me groan in response. Thionan and his humour; inseparable as a krogan and its insults.

As my eyes darted around the room I spied someone I remembered. It was Yeswayla, an operative from the Infinity Unit. I was shocked. Hurt could be another word, possibly horrified. Yeswayla was another human I knew. She was never really a good friend of mine, just another person to share the damnation for what we did. She never really told us about her past. She said something about stealing a priceless work of art, though she never called it 'stealing'. In fact, she never did call anything as it was. Deflecting questions with ambiguous answers is a tricky game and she played it the best. Her suit was different though. It had a hood that (for now) was down revealing her black hair tied in a bun. Red lipstick smothered across her lips and her eyes of oriental decent darting around the room spoke volumes of where she came from. Back then I had the opinion that people were easy to read. Heh, I was a confident son of a bitch.

She turned her gaze to me. This time I did not avert my eyes and gave her a nod and a smile. She replied with a quick wave before the roar of the engine deafened us. We had taken off and it seemed the gravity dampeners on the ship were not as advanced as they appeared. I heard Prince making a comment on that but his voice was cut short as I was flung back into my seat. Thank god we had those harnesses strapping us in.

The roar soon dampened to a soft rumble as the voice of the pilot rang through the air. "We have left atmosphere and will arrive the mass relay next. ETA is an hour." The com gave a hiss as the transmission ended and with it came silence.

We were quiet for a bit. The sound of the engines reverberated around us as we awaited our mission. Prince probably would have been contemplating the structure of the ship; where we were in correspondence with the engines, cockpit, main hall, et cetera. Thionan was probably was eying Zealot, taking in her 'turian charms' as he would say. Zealot on the other hand would be prepping her guns for battle, even if there wasn't going to be one, all while Siphon would be praying to a god for strength. I bet Yeswayla was looking at me, thinking how wonderful it was to see another human from the Infinity Unit. And what was I doing? I was thinking about Geisha and about how truly lost I was from the man I use to be.

My eyes focused at the sound of Siphon moving. He took of his harness and braced himself against the wall as he rose from his seat and proceeded to enter the middle of the room. He turned about on his heels so that he had a full glance at each of us on the main deck. Once that was complete he faced the entrance and pulled out a small device, about the size of his palm. He clasped it tightly and threw it forward. Once it made contact with the ground a blue light burst forth from it and a display flicked before us, draping us in its aqua light. It was a planet.

"Palaven," he began with his smooth voice, "the birthplace of the turian people." The statement finished with a pause. Here people turned to the turians in the group, a natural response of course. "We have been asked by Raven to talk to a contact on this planet." The image decreased its scope and focused on a singular part of the planet. It was a city, I'd be damned if I knew what it was called. "In Gajek, a large city off the peninsula of Dijil, our contact resides. He is a krogan named Ranlof Gern who has a large military connection to the krogan chancellor and the krogan government." The diagram turned to an image of the said krogan. The features were definitely of krogan decent, yet the bone ridge at the back of the neck seemed slightly higher. To be honest he looked much larger than most krogan. I gulped. "Raven has been in contact with the individual for some time and only now has he requested a visit." There was a slight pause. "Our mission, lead by Biasheta, is to retain diplomatic support from him. If we do, the Vipers will have a full krogan battalion joining us, which will come in handy in Raven's future endeavors." There was the snap of an ammo clip entering a weapon. All eyes turned to Zealot who was gripping her gun with startling ferocity. She had chosen the shotgun. "There will be no aggression by our party," stated Siphon as he stared into Zealot's eyes.

"If it comes to it?" She replied.

Siphon's earpiece started to buzz. Without drawing his gaze from the female turian he raised a finger to the device. "Yes," he started. "Yes I understand." His finger left his ear. "There will be no conflict." His words were like ice. Thick and cold. Zealot did not let go of her weapon and a grin appeared on her face.

"I like it better when the orders are ambiguous."

"These aren't."

Her grin widened. "Raven's are."

"Biasheta's aren't." There was a blunt edge to his voice that Zealot found curious. So did I, in fact. She sat back and laid the weapon on her lap. "You will respect her command," his gaze turned to me. "That includes all of you." The comment in theory might not have been directed to me, but his gaze was. I could not breathe until he turned away from me. Who knew the pious ones were the most dangerous?

He returned to his seat and with that, small chattering began. Thionan turned to me and chuckled. "Damn I love a good woman who can stand up for what she loves." His chuckle continued, mine did not start. _What the hell had I gotten myself into?_

* * *

"Biasheta my friend! Siphon as well, it is good to see you both after such a long time!" The booming voice of the krogan was offset by the sirens of Palaven. The metallic sheen of the city cascaded around us as we stood in an alleyway at the floor of the city. To the right of us was an armoury. To our left there was a shooting gallery. Behind us was the bustling street filled with hungry patrons. Before us however was a club. "_The Waning Shot", I guess it's true about what they say on Palaven, _I thought with a grin. _Everything is about the military_. The krogan wore blood red armour with black stripes running throughout. It was obviously the colour of his clan, Ranlof, but to me those stripes looked like the jaws of a shark. He raised his hand to his brow and looked through our unit. _Great, a theatrical krogan_, I sighed. _ Just what the doctor ordered._ "I do not see my good friend Raven however." A wide grin appeared on his leathery face. "I do hope he is feeling well. There is a virus going around." A rat scurried across the metallic street but was shot before it could escape by the long rifle in Gern's hand.

"He cannot make it today, Gern," spoke Siphon courteously. "Biasheta and I will take his place in this transaction and meeting."

The krogan licked his lips. "A pity," he spoke deeply, "I do enjoy his jokes. Come." The order was monosyllabic, which asked for obedience, not discussion. Biasheta seemed bemused by the whole affair but complied. She nodded for us to follow and we did. Siphon took the rear of our party while the two guards beside the entrance of the club followed him in. I noticed Siphon pull a handgun beneath the cuff of his long black trench coat but I thought nothing of it, nor did I think much of the holy symbol on its side.

"Excuse the mess, my patrons are not always the most... gracious of peoples." _No shit_, I thought as we entered the club. There were fights littered about the area. Asari danced about as men broke each others necks at their feet. Red lighting made it difficult to distinguish if the blood on the floor was real or just spilled drink. I'd take the former, personally. No one in the club, not even the guards who were by the walls cared to show this same disposition, which was astonishing to say the least.

Gern walked about with his rifle dragging on the floor behind him. He had a swagger to his step as he swayed back and forth drunkenly. At last he led us to the center of the club, the dance floor that burned deep purples and embers into my corneas. He turned on his heels smoothly as the tip of his rifle was raised to the sky. With an ear-splitting crack of his gun the room drifted into silence. Gern had his right hand planted on his hip and a boyish grin fixed on his face. "You bastards," he started with a grin, "you fucking bastards!" It started softly but laughter soon filled the halls of the club. I spied a human with an asari between his legs who started laughing uncontrollably, obviously causing discomfort for the blue female.

The laughter continued until Gern's stopped. His eyes soon became hungry and he wiped his finger along the floor to taste the liquid on the ground. Once it was in his mouth he cringed and gave another jolt of laughter which the crowd soon became enthralled in. "Fighting?" He questioned with a grin. "Fighting is what makes us truly alive. It burns us. Drives us. Makes us feel wanted." He eyed the asari with his dark eyes. "Murder is but a wall that we must pass to become truly enlightened. Once we have passed through, only then do we become sentient." He turned back to our unit before him. His smile grew wider, a feat I did not know he could accomplish. "I heard in the human bible the first murder was committed by a brother. In the krogan, it was committed by the male to his mate." With a large, plump finger he motioned his men to throw over an asari to him which he grappled in his arm once she was close enough. She reeled at the stench from his mouth but he cared not for her tastes. The rifle twirled in his hand until at last in found a target. With another crack the asari fell dead on the ground. Blood staining the floor red, even though hers was not of that colour.

"Murder is my pleasure friends, don't you ever forget that!" The patrons started to disperse about as Gern snapped his fingers for his men to bring him a chair. They grew alert at his command like stone guards at a castle gate. It was a lavish velvet chair with gold embroidery around the edges. The cost of such an item would be high yet Gern sat on it like it was a common stool. His fingers snapped again and the guards returned to their positions and became 'stone' once more.

Lights flickered to a more luminous yellow as the beat of the club turned to a more smooth tone. The murderers who greeted us started to bicker over the women of the club, ripping them from their pedestals and betting on them with their coin purses. The trading of criminals had begun and those who were lucky were already dancing with their partners, grinding them to walls and licking their features. It was sick.

Siphon, who clearly thought the same about this as I did, pursed his lips tightly into a line and spoke. "We did not come here for a show, Gern."

"No," started the krogan as a bottle of wine was brought to him, "you came here for our deal, didn't you?" A nod from the drell as Gern clasped the bottle and started to pour the crimson liquid into a glass. He swirled the liquid elegantly and pressed it to his lips with a grin, never taking his eyes off Siphon. Did I mention how much I hated theatrical krogans?

Biasheta turned to Siphon. _"Ni disek garahst ja thruk,"_ she spoke in her tongue. This was obviously the dead asari dialect Prince had been babbling about when we had made our way to the ship.

Siphon, without even turning his head, replied, _"Barq. Neidak-Yalec tynork sart dipark Biasheta." _She grunted at the response and turned her head to face the krogan once more. I was behind her so I could not see her expression, but I bet she was glaring.

Gern raised a brow at this and started to chuckle a bit. "Come now Biasheta," he said with a wave of his arm, "you can speak in the common tongue." She did not move a muscle and I could see the blue of her powers start to birth at the tips of her fingers. Gern did not see this and continued his prodding. "I know you think our language is disgraceful but hasn't Raven taught you any manners?" Her powers started to swirl in greater ferocity and the krogan now spied her potential to harm him. He raised he glass into the air and the guards around the room raised their guns at us. In response, we raised ours. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

My gun was facing a krogan guard who had a human stripper backed on the wall behind him. If it came to a gunfight my shot would definitely not miss. With the lick of my lips I turned my eyes to the left and saw Zealot with her gun raised. She was breathing heavy and her eyes were full of fire. I turned to my mark. Some Viper I was, I didn't even get enjoyment from this.

After a few moments I heard clapping. I turned my head towards it and saw Gern standing up and clapping his hands while laughing. His glass was still in his right hand yet his gun had left his other. It was then that I also noticed Siphon gripping Biasheta's hand, preventing her from sending a biotic discharge. _Interesting_, I thought.

"Raven won't allow a fight now I guess? Is that it?" Asked the krogan as he waltzed his way to our commanding officers. He grunted in Siphon's face. Even I could smell the stench of rotting meat from where I was. I had no idea how the drell stood it. "Yes, good ol' Raven. That magnificent bastard." He took another sip of his drink and swallowed it instantly. He gave a full smile and made his way back to his seat. With that, his guards started to lower their weapons as we did ours. I heard Zealot swear beside me which made me want to slap her across the head. Did she want us all killed or what?

"Speak your proposition," spat the krogan, it seemed to me he was bored with all the excitement. _Damn, if Siphon gives the order I will enjoy trying to put a bullet through his head_. I was calculating how fast I would have to bring up my gun to kill him before he brought up his shield when the voice of the drell commander broke my thoughts.

"My god; Raven," there was slight snickering in the club as the lights turned from their vibrant yellow to a moody blue. Siphon paused as the change occurred and continued like nothing had ever happened, "requests that you honour his agreement about the full battalion of krogan troops that were to be issued to him..."

"Oh that thing," waved off the krogan as an asari was asked to pour into his empty glass once more. "I know of that agreement, it was all the poor human ever talked about." He finished his glass once more in one gulp and held it outstretched for more contents to be poured.

Siphon's stance became more relaxed. "Then you will honour your half of the bargain and give us the unit—"

"As I recall," interrupted the krogan with a smile, "you offered me three gallons of red stand for the battalion."

The drell's hands left his side and clasped each other at the front. "We did, yes. Is there a problem with the drugs—"

"No, no they are fine," spoke Gern after he interrupted Siphon again with a loud belch. "In fact, they are of marvellous quality, which is why I do not need them anymore."

The drell's stance became tense once more. "What do you mean?" He spat at the krogan.

Glass smashed in the hand of Gern but it was not anger that caused it. With another snap of his fingers, the asari drew back and brought him a case. It was a wooden box with a copper hatch. With her blue finger tips she drew the lid back and produced a large cigar. The krogan grabbed it and firmly planted it in his lips. The asari lit the tobacco and a puff of smoke flowed out from his mouth. "I mean that we no longer have any use for it," he said around the cigar. He took it from his mouth and tapped the end with a finger. "Red sand has dropped in value, the price we paid does not equal what we were given—"

"Now hold on a second—"

"I am speaking!" Roared the krogan. All the music in the club stopped and the dancing asari stood still in fear. Their legs were quaking in worry. "The payment is now insufficient. You understand me, drell?" His friendly tone was lost and what remained was a cold exterior. Smoke billowed from the end of his cigar. _It must have cost him a fortune to find one of those_, I thought. _Nowadays people use nicotine patches_.

Siphon took a deep breath in, holding back his anger. "What do you propose then?"

A smile rose on the krogan's lips. He put the cigar back into his mouth. "I want Raven to help me fight a war." It was a purposeful pause that Gern created, intended for a 'dramatic effect.' "You have heard of Urdnot Wrex?" Siphon nodded. Biasheta growled. "He took control of the clans after the Reaper Wars. He wanted to return the krogan to what they once were: a proud species, one of culture and social wealth." He spat out these words as if they disgusted him. "He is not a krogan in my opinion. He is a weakling and a pathetic fool!" The guards at the walls started to shout out profanities to which Gern let go for a while until he held his hand up and silence returned. "Krogan were meant to fight, to conquer the stars. The genophage was a tool to keep us pinned down and now that it is gone we should go and take our rightful place as conquerors of the stars!"

Siphon looked at the krogan around him the spoke, "How does this affect us?"

"I want Raven to promise me his support. He will be serving Urdnot Wreav, the bloodbrother of Urdnot Wrex and the rightful leader of the krogan clans!" Another cheer rose up around us as I felt myself grappling to my gun for safety. By Biasheta's heaving I knew this would not end well.

"You're planning an insurrection," growled Siphon.

"I'm ending an interregnum. An interregnum that has hindered our people and made us equal to those council slobs!"

The cheering continued but was overpowered by Siphon's booming voice. "If we refuse?"

Gern stood up and walked over to Siphon. He was obviously drunk and tripped over his feet twice when he went on his way to face the drell. Once he was in his face he took the cigar from his lips and blew a puff of smoke at him. "Now, I don't think Raven will like not having his krogan battalion. Do you?" Siphon looked away and coughed. A smirk rose on the krogan's face. "Just what I thought about you Vipers. You don't have much of a poisonous bite. All you have to do is break their backs—"

A burst of blue energy seethed from the hands of Biasheta as Gern went flying backwards from the center of the dance floor into a wooden, chest-high wall. His head cracked against the wood as he broke through the barrier and landed on top of a table, breaking it under his weight. Her form was heaving and could not be calmed by Siphon's desperate pleads. The guards snapped to attention but were too slow as their guns were pulled from their hands_. My god_, I thought with a gulp. _Her powers are indeed extremely impressive._ Gern tried to get up. He clutched his back as he lifted himself off of the wooden rubble but was too slow as another blast of biotic power hit him square in the face and sent him head over heels into a wall. His head smashing against the concrete and a sickening snap indicated broken bone.

A wave of energy followed and pinned the krogan against the wall. His bloodied and broken form was then lifted and thrown across the room once more to the feet of Siphon. Gern could not move his legs at this point, only his arms as he tried desperately to lift himself up. He cussed and swore, begging his guards to help him. They could not. Too inflicted by fear, too anxious for their own fate they neglected their master. Biasheta soon stood beside the broken form of the krogan. With a lift of her hand she made his body rise as he twitched horrifically in the air. She closed her eyes and threw her hands out. Instantly the krogan's eyes burst open and the crackling of his crushed skull was the only sound that accompanied his wails.

"Go to _vashta_ you magnificent bastard." She said with her thick accent. Gern cried his last as his body grew slack. With a sigh, Biasheta dropped the dead krogan and staggered under the exhaustion she had withstood.

The crowd was silent as Siphon walked over to Biasheta and grabbed her shoulders and brought her into a hug. She collapsed into his arms and gave a hefty sigh. Ranlof Gern was dead. After a momentary pause for her strength to be regained, Siphon let her go and she returned to our unit with slow, cautious movements. I could not believe what had gone on before me. The drell turned his face from her to the patrons and guards of the establishment. "You have two choices before you now," he spoke with a deadly tone. "You can join us under the unified banner of the Vipers, no longer a singular krogan battalion. Or," Siphon closed his eyes and revealed a gun from his hand to which he shot the dead corpse of Gern, "you can die like your master."

In this instant we flung up our guns. We each had our targets picked as the people inside now started to sweat. I even heard Zealot give a shout of joy as she brought her weapon out once more. Some people never change.

Silence continued as the situation dawned upon the people inside the club. Some were not even part of Gern's gang; they were here to have some 'fun'. Now they had been thrust into a war they knew nothing about. _Like I was_, I thought with a great sigh.

After the silence started to draw to a close a krogan, probably a captain of Gern's squad by his clothing, lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head. Soon the entire club followed his lead, lowering their heads in recognition of their service to Raven's order. Even the dancers and strippers bowed themselves and a bunch of the men in our group started to giggle and smile with glee. I could not bring myself to think such thoughts; I could only think about what these people were giving up. Once the last knee had touched the ground Siphon turned to us and signaled Prince to come forth. The quarian burst from the crowd with a heavy sigh. In his hands was an assault rifle that was shaking with fear. _Poor kid_.

"Wh...what is it Siphon?" He asked as his lip quivered.

"You think all these people can fit into our craft and still not be noticed by any authorities?"

The quarian peered at them through his mask and put his gun away. He wrung his slender hands about as he calculated weights and discrepancies. "If I do the math right... ummm, well it would be a tight fit. But if we remodel the astrophysics stealth calibrations and run by the mass effect fields with the generator—"

"Prince," warned the drell as he clasped his hands behind his back.

The quarian looked to him and sighed. "If we want to be completely safe we could take half of them. The dancers and strippers are not included in this equation, of course. They would all be able to come on the ship." This seemed to please the men of the group greatly as Siphon called all the dancers, male and female, to come towards us. What remained were the patrons scattered about and the guards kneeling by the walls.

With a look of distain, Siphon threw out his handgun into the middle of the dance floor and asked we all do the same with our pistols. We complied. Once a mound of weapons was piled on the floor Siphon looked to the people of the club. "Only half of you can make it out," he said with a grin. "Those who survive, meet us outside." He turned on his heel and started to walk out, we followed. Once he reached the door he turned and gave a smile. "Make it quick," is what he said as he threw himself out the door.

* * *

**I know its been a long time since I've uploaded, but I'm proud of this one. Hopefully it's one you enjoyed. **


	10. Contact

**Chapter 10: Contact**

"In essence, we will reach the outer rim in a few days. At that time no communication can be sent our way." The channel flickered. Spots of static squirmed around the edges of the frame. The picture cleared and the man inside the screen shook himself. "Sorry about that. Long range sensors are not what they used to be, even with the help of the Leviathans." The turian watching nodded his head; he had wondered what the last few Leviathans were doing after the Reaper War. Now he had his answer and it pained him that he could not use them on his mission. _Not like they would even care to help us anyway, _he thought bitterly.

The turian turned from his thoughts to the man on the screen. He had pressed his lips firmly into a line. He was old, too old to even be on such a mission. Yet he persevered. There was a reason he was named one of humanity's greatest admirals. _I admire him for his determination_, thought the turian with a mental sigh. _Palaven knows I'll need it soon_.

"So you can't help us at all?" Asked the turian as he rubbed his scaled head methodically. The white haired human shook his head.

"I would like to, but we are stretched far too thin as it is. Plus, by the way you're describing them..." The human drifted off and looked to the left corner of the screen. The turian knew exactly what he was talking about. "I wish I could help, Garrus. You've done a great number of things with the help of Commander Williams. I've read the files, some really good cases. However, if you want my personal opinion this seems like a waste of time. These 'Vipers' can do no harm to us, I can assure you that."

The turian closed his eyes and nodded slowly. He knew that arguing his point would be useless. Besides, even if he did win his victory would change nothing. Having humanity's most advanced ships on the outskirts of the universe sure didn't help them much in the way of support. "For your sake and more importantly ours, I hope you are right Admiral Hackett." The man nodded and slightly smiled. That smile won over thousands of humans once the war had finished and it had also won him an early retirement, one he gladly declined.

"Say my thanks to Liara T'Soni by the way. She did us a great favour by using her network to scout out the safest route possible." The turian nodded and was about to close the channel before the admiral stopped him. "Good luck though Captain Vakarian, may God be with you." With that the human threw up his hand in a salute.

The turian could not help but smile at that. He mirrored the admiral in his gesture. "The same to you." The channel then died and Garrus was left with a dark screen before him. If he looked closely enough he could see his dim reflection in the blackened screen. However this was not the case. These moments of pondering never helped anyone when they had to get something done. _And this is especially one of those 'shit just hit the fan' times_, smirked Garrus as he laid back in his chair, closing his eyes and let the darkness envelope his vision.

There was a knock at the door. So quick and precise was its sound that Garrus could not help but peek his right eye slightly open and peer at the door. His eyes fluttered in more rapid succession as the door rattled again. "Who is it?" He called out gruffly.

"Oh," stated the female voice curtly, "just a little lost friend of yours who still demands that drink." Garrus gave a chuckle as he called Liara in. The asari stepped in dressed in the red and white of the Normandy's new uniform. Ashley had specifically picked the colours out and while Garrus preferred not having a distinct colour, he could not do much to argue the point.

"If I remember correctly," replied the turian with his usual wit, "you declined my offer for a drink and then promptly bought your own." On the asari's face was a wide grin as she looked about Garrus' loft. It was small, yet adequate for his needs. A few racks for guns and a few pictures of past experiences on a desk that lay in front of him. He did not complain though, his tastes were of finer things. _Besides_, he reasoned, _I don't have to entertain hot ladies in my cabin. I have better places for that. _He shook his head at his thoughts. _Let's be honest with yourself Garrus, when has a hot lady ever wanted to see your 'cabin'? Well there was that one turian woman... ya, better not remember her._

"Well," sighed the asari as she brought up a chair, "then it looks like you'll have to treat me again."

A grin crossed the scarred face of the turian. "You just can't get enough of my charming personality.

Liara laughed. "Yes, something like that."

The two stayed silent for a while, gazing across at one another. Silence was their only company, something both had grown accustomed to. To Garrus, silence was a time for thought and reflection; a time to understand your mistakes and move on from them. He had embraced enough silence in the past few weeks; he did not want to visit it again. To Liara however, it was an old friend. It was a blanket of comfort that hid her from the evils of the world; hid her from being hurt. It was a mechanism she learned while she was a young archeologist, one that she knew would never leave her.

There was a slight ding that broke through the air yet neither of them made a comment on it. At last it was Garrus who broke the unnerving silence. "Though I do enjoy your company Liara," he started, "it seems you have other motives for coming in here."

"Yes I do," she said as she sat on his bed. There was a rickety sound causing Garrus to remember the sleepless nights in Palaven's military training. _So drenched in war are we that we must procreate it among a peaceful universe. _Garrus blinked twice. _Damn I should really have written that down, sometimes I do surprise myself._ "A krogan ship just docked beside ours. From their transmission to Joker it appears they are here for the meeting." Garrus nodded. His smile withered and his back became tense. It was not long now before he would have to prove himself. "You ok, Garrus?" Asked Liara, worried.

"Should be," replied Garrus with a quick smile. He lifted himself up from the chair and straightened his uniform. There was a small window beside his desk to the left and he took a moment to look out. Stars were twinkling in the abyss of darkness. There were so many planets, so many wonders that had yet to be discovered. War was one of those discoveries that never ceased to reinvent itself. "You think we can convince them?"

The sound of creaking pierced the silence and the pitter-patter of footsteps accompanied it. Soon Liara was beside Garrus, staring outside at the glowing stars. "I do not know, Garrus. But I do know one thing."

He turned. "That is?"

Liara met his eyes with hers. "That you will convince some of them, not all, but enough to make a difference." Her hand extended out and made a wide sweep at the picture before them. "This is what you fight for. This murky blackness that stretches as far as the eye can see. Peace, Garrus. The stars are not at war but they may be soon." She turned to him with a wide grin. "Let's keep it that way shall we?"

A chuckle came from Garrus. "You really do have the best pep-talks."

"Only the best for the best."

Before their conversation could be continued a sharp voice came through the com. "Well I'm going to interrupt before it gets any hotter in there." Garrus looked to the ceiling and gave a groan. It was Joker.

For a moment Garrus was about to call him out but with sudden realization dawning on him he shifted his glance. "Were you listening to our entire conversation?"

"Well..." started the pilot slowly, adding comedic effect, "I did hear the rickety bed going up and down so I knew that something was going down. Not quite sure whether I wanted to intervene for my sake or yours." There was silence before the human could not help but speak again. "So, when can I expect the happy announcement?"

Garrus rolled his eyes, his tone slowly becoming more hostile. "Joker..."

"Alright, alright I kid! Sheesh!" There were the sounds of buttons being pressed in the background. "Ashley, wait sorry," Joker cleared his throat and spoke again very surely, "Commander Williams said that the meeting will commence in a few minutes. She requests that all senior personnel come down to the conference room immediately."

"Thanks for the announcement Joker, we will be down soon," said Liara in her usual placid tone.

"No problem," before he cut off however, his sly wit returned. "Just remember to be down there not too late, I'll tell Commander Williams that she'll need to give you two some time to 'clean up'." Snickering sounded as Garrus shook his head and chuckled.

"Damn it Moreau..." The com cut off suddenly but Garrus knew that behind those controls sat a grizzled humanoid who was laughing uncontrollably. He sighed and turned to Liara who, herself, wore a hefty grin. Garrus could not be melancholy for long as a smile appeared between his mandibles_. If I had more facial muscles my grin would be as wide as the moons of Palaven every time I saw Liara smile._ He chuckled, it was a momentous occasion when she did not ponder the deeper thoughts of physiology and he took this moment to celebrate it.

"Come on smiley," grinned the turian as he started his walk out of the room, "let's get out of here before Joker gets any more funny ideas." But as he started to walk he felt the gentle, yet firm grasp on the asari's hand on his shoulder. He turned to his right to find her lips no longer upright, but squirming into a fine line. "Liara," he started, worried, "is something wrong?"

The asari tried quickly to mock a smile, but the attempt failed miserably. "I was just wondering about something," she started slowly. Garrus raised a brow. "I gave you Hackett's transmission locations and his ship coordinates so you could talk to him. But the only thing that bothers me is my curious fascination to find out how the talk went." Garrus felt the room grow tense, maybe it was just him but at that moment he felt a thousand eyes staring, judging his every move. "Garrus," she repeated, slower than before, "do we have his support?"

The turian turned from her and placed his left hand on her own. He gave a tight squeeze as his eyes drew to the floor. "We are on our own."

* * *

They found themselves walking down the halls of the Normandy towards the conference room after the quick ride on the elevator. As they walked past the huge holographic map of the galaxy, Garrus could not help but chuckle lightly. _After experiencing the elevators on the Citadel years ago the technology could only get better from there._

"What are you laughing about?" Inquired Liara as they found themselves being stopped by a scanner. It was put in place so that no species could bring in weapons to the peace conferences during the Reaper War. Still after all this time it had solidified its place inside the now ancient stealth ship. _To think_, thought Garrus ponderously, _that this was a revolutionary ship back in the day. Now it is so common that any Omega lowlife could find one in a scrap heap_. These thoughts did not sit well with him as the almighty question rose: _Are we like this ship; relics of a forgotten age? It seems the galaxy has changed so much in these last ten years_. He shook his head, _now I'm sounding like Liara._

He turned to her and masked his pain with a grin. "Elevators," was all he said to send Liara spiraling downward into laughter. The two security guards, though confused, found no weapons on them and nodded for them to pass. And pass they did, the doors sliding open to their very footsteps, the selected few whose actions dictated everything around them.

Once they had walked through the doors, Garrus spied an older human with a scarred face leaning against the wall in a dark blue uniform. The edges were crisp white, a contrast to his darkened face from the heat. In his mouth was a small cigarette which he occasionally took a draw from with lackluster appeal. Though at the sight of the turian the human's eyes widened and the end of the cigarette found itself embedded in a wall. Garrus cringed slightly, Traynor would not be happy with that after her whole Anti-Mess crusade a few years back. He smiled; it seemed everyone had found their place at last.

"Garrus? Garrus Vakarian?" The man outstretched his hand and the turian grasped it tightly in a shake as a reply. "Holy shit, I would never have thought to see you here! Goddamn hierarchy on Palaven is strict with its heroes, how the hell did you weasel out of that one you bastard?"

The turian retained his smile. "You know me Zaeed, I'm a smooth talker when it comes to military officials. I just mention the name Shepard, hell even the first syllable and they start to throw the credits at me." The mercenary laughed mightily as he took Garrus' shoulder and held it tight.

"Shit you crack me up Vakarian!" He gave a harsh laugh to which he coughed roughly after.

Garrus nodded and started to walk into the conference room, eying the uniform that Zaeed was dressed in. "I could say the same about you Zaeed, wearing a Blue Sun's symbol like that. What happened? Thought you hated their guts for what they did to you."

Zaeed shook his head, his smile now turned parallel with his brow. "Well I never hated them, just hated the bastard that led them. I dunno how it happened but they needed a leader, I needed a mercenary group and bam!" He clapped his hands together in front of him. "It just worked I guess. Took a lot of time to organize the place after the Reaper War, that's for damn sure. Most merc groups got disbanded. Some men wanted peace, others wanted war again but knew the cost. Shit, bands like the Eclipse are no more." They had reached the door and Garrus had to enter his password into the lock. _I hate Council safety systems sometimes_. "I turned the Blue Sun's into a true mercenary group; we're more like contractors who are asked to protect important people. Hell I remember C-Sec even wanting us for a job." The doors slid open as Zaeed's story drew to its close. "I think they are better off for it personally, all that nasty business with red sand and whores never suited the life of a mercenary organization."

Garrus turned to him as they walked down the stairs to the main room where everyone was situated. "It sounds like your life's pretty good Zaeed. Why are you even here if everything's so swell?"

The human's face grew dark as he stopped in his tracks and placed his right hand on Garrus' left shoulder and turned him around so that they were face to face. "A particular merc group didn't agree with my ideals, now I'm paying the damn price for it." With that Zaeed's hand left Garrus' shoulder and the trio entered the conference room wordlessly.

It had changed since the end of the Reaper War. Before the room was a large circle, in the middle a holographic display showing fleet movements and weapon developments. At the end of the war, sections were cut out of the main room so that there were two full rooms for security and secretary members after the weapons scanning room. Now they were inside the final area, a large hall that had sides decorated with the latest gadgets and screens that displayed news from around the galaxy. Zaeed gave a whistle as they walked through, the hard metal plate at the bottom of the merc's feet was their applause.

Inside was the old Normandy crew, now aged with years, talking to one another. Garrus knew them all. Grunt was in the back, wearing the colours of Clan Urdnot, brandishing his shotgun. It was long, slender, and had a large mouth from which a good scatter shot could be produced…. _wait, a shotgun?_ Garrus' mind filled with questions. _How the hell did Grunt get by the security outpost with the scanner? How could he—_but it was with the ending of that thought he realized a simple truth as the krogan started to look down the barrel: _I really don't want to find out how he got it in_.

Kirrahe was near him, watching his work with nervous anxiety. Garrus had been surprised that the former leader of the Infinity Unit had requested to come listen in on the meeting, even in his condition. Yet he still came and Garrus was thankful for the support. An asari was near the salarian. Garrus noticed her as Samara. She wore a new battle suit, now dressed in the red and white of the Normandy's colouring and Garrus instantly knew where her allegiances lay. Talking to the asari justicar was Miranda Lawson; she wore a new uniform as well, black matching her slick hair. An emblem was over her heart yet in the gloom Garrus could not make it out. Her eyes seem to dart about at the people who were gathered, her gaze shifting with nervous agitation. The Cerberus symbol did remind Garrus of Jacob, but he already knew the answer to that man. He had apparently dropped off the face of the universe according to Liara. The last time the turian had seen him it was at a reunion six years ago. The last time anyone who had access to a news source saw him, it was four years ago on a beach holding hands with his beloved, a ring on both their fingers.

His thoughts dissipated as his gaze turned to Jack, who was standing alone by the wall spitting on the floor. Garrus noticed the Alliance insignia on her new outfit. The ponytail she had last time he saw her still remained, that and her sharp tongue. For it was that tongue that brought the remaining few (Doctor Chakwas – already a member of the crew, Commander Williams who was deep in conversation with Samantha Traynor, Kenneth and Gabby) to turn around and now realize Garrus' entrance.

"Well look what the cat dragged in." Jack walked slowly towards the approaching trio. All eyes were on them now and Zaeed started to chuckle lightly. Jack's eyes darted to him, to which he merely raised his hands and set off towards a wall to lean on. Liara stayed beside Garrus the entire time however for moral support. Jack saw this and smiled. "Shit, and I thought the Shadow Broker had better things to do than murder a bunch of pussies who call themselves a gang!"

"Jack," she turned to the turian. "I need you to listen and not make any smart comments, got that?"

She scoffed and bowed deeply. "Whatever you say 'Shepard'." The words stung as she retreated back to her place. Once she had returned, the room became silent. The fans circulating air in the room was the only sound. Garrus looked around at them all. Such misfits, how could he ever unite them all? But a single thought droned out all the rest: _Shepard did it, so can I._

"You might all be wondering why we are gathered here today—"

"Ya, no shit Sherlock." There was a light dose of laughter that ran through the crowd and Garrus had to glare at Jack to make her quiet.

Once her hands were raised and the promise of silence came from her lips, Garrus continued. "Well I expect you think I'm going to make a speech on how this is important, how the fate of the galaxy rests in our hands. However, this time I will not lie to you. The galaxy is not at war, there is no dominant species or group that is planning to eradicate us all. No, instead prevention is our goal. There is a group of mercs, they call themselves the Vipers. They don't get on the news, they don't get noticed and they don't seem threatening. That's the problem. I've witnessed firsthand their power. You know that explosion on Zayarter?" A few nodded. "That was their doing." This seemed to surprise a few, at the same time it drew scoffs from the ones who did not care about anything but themselves. "We also have someone you all know being effected by them, not just the Council. Tell 'em Zaeed."

The merc rose a brow at Garrus and then turned towards the group before him. His arms were crossed in front of him and he gave a sigh as he started to explain. "Well, as Garrus said these bastards aren't really well known. That's the piss off, I suppose." He cleared his throat with a cough. "But whenever I try to get a damn deal with anyone for guarding someone, delivering goods, ect. I'm always beaten to the punch. Every employer hires them and god dammit, I wish I knew how they do it. Let's just say they've gotten rid of more than a few merc groups. Have any of you heard of the Blood Pack recently?" There was silence. "I thought as much. This gang is just affecting the Council, hell he's affecting the whole underground as well and I say that gives us a reason to listen to Garrus." He slouched back into the wall and nodded for Garrus to continue.

The turian did. "We've followed this gang for a few years now and they've expanded and grown. For their size and reputation one would suspect their capture to be easy. That's the thing though: it isn't. Even with the support of the Council, this gang has hidden from our radar for years. It's like they are the only ones in the universe who weren't set back from the Reaper War."

"I understand your worry Garrus," started Samara with her lucid, icy tones. "And I agree, this seems like something that could harm us in the foreseeable future, but you have yet to explain to us what your goal is." Garrus winced internally. _Okay, maybe her allegiances aren't as clear as I thought. _Garrus gulped. _Time to prove what I know. _

"You question is logical and I am glad you asked Samara." Garrus motioned to Ashley, who was in the crowd, to speak and she did without even batting an eyelash in hesitation.

"We have acquired new information on Viper plans. Though this information comes from a... sensitive source, we will nevertheless accept it as logical fact. This is our start on their plans. In the next few weeks their plans will start to go into motion and then we will strike when they least expect it." A smile grew on her face as she crossed her arms. "I promise you all it will be as easy as squashing a fly."

"A fly that can predict your every move," smirked Miranda as she started to pace around the room. "Yes, I read the reports on what happened on Zayarter. It was too fabricated for my liking, had too many Council fingerprints on it. So I did some digging and found out all the dirt on that operation," she turned to Ashley, "nice work on that by the way." Garrus could notice the fire in the Commander's face and was thankful Miranda continued to talk about it. "They apparently knew you were coming before you even came up with this plan. So tell me, how can you fight an enemy that finds out your movements before you even know them?"

"You copy their style," spoke Liara strongly to which all eyes came on her. "We find the dirt on them, we spy, we cheat, and we lie. Though we are inside the law, we must think and act how they work outside the law. We must get into their mindset and deduce how they are coming up with this information. I've seen it done numerous times before in conflict and it will work well here."

"You don't see my point!" Cried out Miranda, exasperated. "How the hell will us being here help any of that? Honestly Garrus, I want to help. But I can speak for us all when I say the galaxy is at peace, we have all moved on. What good can another conflict do us? How could we even help?"

Garrus started to pace around the room, his hands clasped behind his back. _Think Garrus_, he thought. _Think!_ "Loyalty is what drives the Vipers forward, unconditional loyalty and support. We need to operate in the same way, I believe. I need people I can trust, people who are talented at what they do best and can give us the advantage of already knowing our strengths and weaknesses. I want what the Viper's already have, and I need your answer." No one in the room spoke, some shifted their feet about uncomfortably and others just eyed Garrus in thought. The turian tried breathing softly to mask his nervous disposition. _I don't think it's working._

"I know you're all wondering what's in it for you—"

"Like hell we are," mumbled Jack gruffly.

Garrus sighed and returned to his topic. "I want you to know that this threat is real, it exists in our space. Yes, we are at peace and war has not come about in ten years. That is something to be proud of, but when I look into the eyes around me I see something more. I see a desire to protect justice and the well-being of people. I know most of you won't admit it and some may upright deny it, but I know these things because I've seen you in action before with Shepard." There was a moment of reflection for the fallen commander's name. Garrus gave a quick click of humour. "And so, I guess what I'm dancing around the bush trying to say is that I'm asking we rush the relay again. Let's make another suicide mission a miracle, where everyone gets out alive."

To Garrus, nothing in the room moved. It was as if time had stopped. Sure people moved about in nervous anticipation for the first person to speak out, but no one took the stand. Space seemed to be the only thing moving around them, a fitting allegory to the situation they now resided in. The universe turned endlessly, even without the ones who thought they controlled their fate. _Damn_, thought Garrus somberly,_ I hate philosophy sometimes, especially when everything's so damn tense._ He noticed Ken and Gabby in the corner of the room, they were obviously torn between loyalty and Garrus knew how they felt. _I'm surprised they even accepted the request; Engineer Adams even declined to continue with his work for the Alliance._ Garrus shook his head; the universe was too rife with personal motivation. _Is that a bad thing though?_

The krogan tank-born Grunt was the first to stand up straight. His shotgun was tightly grasped in his hand and his gaze was unfaltering towards the turian. "I came here from Clan Urdnot. Wrex, my clan leader, could not come here for... obvious reasons." The tone in which he said those words betrayed something more. It was something that the krogan brushed aside. "But I stand by Garrus any day. I came here on my own and I agree this is a worthy cause." He took lumbering steps forward to the turian until he was only a few meters from him. Then Grunt laid his gun on the ground and pushed it with his foot towards the turian. "My gun is yours, Vakarian," a smile erupted on his face as he spoke, "let's give them hell."

The turian smiled and picked up the gun in his hands. He turned it about and inspected its design. At last he turned to the group behind Grunt and asked a simple question. "So, who's with me now?" In that instant, members started to walk towards Garrus and stand by his side. Zaeed was one of the first, placing his assault rifle at the turian's feet then standing on his right.

Samara also walked up to Garrus, remarking only, "My code deemed this threat necessary a long time ago; I am bound to the Normandy once more."

Kirrahe also joined the line rather early and with a twinkle in his eye spoke to Garrus, "I guess where there's a line that needs to be held, I'll be there." The brave salarian, already broken down by the bombardment of comments towards his recent failure, just wanted to bring peace to the galaxy and Garrus had respect for that. He marched on.

Soon more and more joined, taking the side of Garrus. The last to come was Ashley as she decided to make room beside Garrus directly on his left and stand there. Garrus took a step forward and noticed a few had no come into the line. Miranda and Jack still stood alone, watching with cautious eyes. Neither of them moved and it was Jack who stood up and shook her head. "Well, looks like Cerberus bitch isn't making her move so I will." She walked up to the turian captain and stared deep into his eyes. There was such rage beneath her gaze, such loathsome hatred for herself that it consumed all else. With a smile she spat on Garrus' foot and wiped her mouth after. _Damn, I liked these boots._ "Take that as my thoughts on all this bullshit. You honestly think I'll give up my life to run off on some suicide mission again? News to you bud, the galaxy's moved on and we don't give a fuck about what you think anymore." She started for the door and once it opened she turned one last time. Her voice was softer now, but her rage was all the same. "I have my kids at Grayson Academy to look after. There are millions being shipped from every new human home world and I... I..." she swallowed hard, "I have a life now. I'm not risking it for some stupid ass mission again."

The door slid closed behind her unceremoniously. The turian sighed and turned at last to the black haired female before him. Her eyes were deep in thought and worry, already Garrus feared the answer. "Garrus..." she started in a pleading tone, his hand raised in reply.

"I know what you're going to say," a lonely grin appeared on his face, "and I know I won't be able to sway you mind."

The female human stood up and started to walk out. Before she left she did the same as Jack had and tried to give a reason for her departure. She could find none. She babbled a bit about Cerberus and how in her hands she could allow the organization to finally do well, to step out of the Illusive Man's dark shadow and into a new light. She wanted to tell him about the hidden guilt she felt about her killing her father, about how he sister had changed because of all the war... but she could not find the words. And so, as unceremoniously as Jack had left before, Miranda Lawson, the 'perfect' woman, left without another word.

The door closed and Garrus turned to his companions before him. His frown quickly turned to a smile and he sighed deeply. "I thank you all for putting your faith in me—"

"Faith?" Interrupted Zaeed with a grin. "No, we don't follow you with our faith, but we do it for your damn good luck Vakarian!" Ken and Gabby gave an "aie, aie!" in response and with that the crowd erupted into congratulations, concerns, triumphs, and welcoming cheers once more. The future was brighter now that they were together but Garrus could not shake the feeling of losing some members. _I guess I know how Shepard felt all those years ago_, he thought. But he shook his head to his own thoughts. _Now is not the time for that Garrus, now is the time to look ahead and rush the relay again. _He chuckled. _I sure as hell hope luck is on our side like it was last time_.

His head turned to the empty half of the room. There were those who hadn't made it through. _Thane, Mordin, Legion, all lost to some damn pointless conflict_. He turned to his friends, now laughing and clasping one another, bracing each other for the oncoming storm_. Am I sentencing them to their deaths for no reason? Is it my place to lead them to what could be their demise?_ But as these thoughts wore on, a hand fell on his shoulder and an asari face warmed his heart. "Stop worrying Garrus," she said with a smile. "We have our crew, now is the time to celebrate!"

The turian gave his usual grin and walked with her towards the crowd of excited members of his new family. "Celebrate? That's my middle name Liara!"

Her voice became sly and full of wit. "I thought you said turian's don't have 'middle names', only humans do."

"Well if you are getting the middle name of 'adventure', I'm sure as hell patenting mine before someone takes it."


	11. The City That Never Sleeps

**Chapter 11: The City That Never Sleeps**

_"The walk from that court was in picturesque rain. The grimy streets of the city mirrored the grey sky. Dim, dark, and distant were those clouds, so high above the sky watching mankind with its sinister grin. I sniffed; the musky blackness of the tar beneath my feet gave way to mold and dust. A crack of thunder, a split of light all beckoning signs of my renewal. My body on the street, my mind in a gutter, my heart in a shell that is whirling towards its inevitable target. _

_"How could they blame him? How could they (the ones who made us kill), kill with the gun that they held? Thoughts of idealism stream through my head, but it is to no avail. None of it was and none of it would ever be. The light from distant houses shone bright against the background of dusk. Dusk to dust, ashes to morning, and spring to fall. This was all just the inevitable circle drawing me ever onward. And I was sick of it._

_"I kicked at a pebble, small and tiny compared to my black boot. The pebble rolled and lulled until at last it came to a stop. Its side turned dark from the water it had rolled in. My side was to be dark as the rain poured in. My heart was black from hate and anger, strife and mistrust towards the people I trusted. It was all for naught, it seemed. I was told I would help people. Now, all I saw was them dying. I walked over to a bus terminal and sat down, neglecting any company._

_"Water rushed down my face and mixed with salt as I spat to the ground. Emotion was a lie to us, as it is to you. Everything is that circle of hate. We are beaten in training, told how to hold a gun, and then forced to never fire again. It's sick and a lie. Giving candy to a babe then asking for them never to eat it, even when the child is starving. The water soon stopped and I looked up to see a woman in black holding an umbrella over my tattered form. She smiled and continued her gaze onward, obviously waiting for the bus. I told her I did not need the protection._

_"'Nonsense,'" was her reply. 'Humans have always run from the cold and the rain. Who are you to say you're not human?'_

_"'I'm a soldier, miss,' was my counter._

_"Her face warmed in the bitter cold and she opened her trench coat slightly. 'So am I,' she stated as her insignia was revealed. She closed her jacket once more. 'I like the rain too. I guess it's for the sinners to wash away the sins they have witnessed.' Her voice was like fire, crackling and beckoning to be listened to. Warmth emanating from every syllable that rolled off her tongue. 'But it also chills the bones; don't want you catching a cold anytime soon.' With that she placed the umbrella in my hands. Though my icy fingers grazed the heat from her flesh, she did not seem faltered by this._

_"She moved her collar to point high to the sky and started to walk away, the downpour continuing in its full gale. 'Hey, wait!' I called out. 'I don't want your umbrella!'_

_"Her face turned to me and that same warm smile shone again. 'An old human saying: An eye for an eye. You listened to me, I granted you reprieve from the rain. Maybe you'll want to hear from me again.' With that she turned and walked away. On the handle of the umbrella was embedded a name in silver._

_"It was the beginning of my new baptism. From there everything went downhill."_

* * *

We were welcomed back as heroes. "Legends," Raven explained. "You are legends for you services in the name of peace and justice." Motivations never really bothered Raven, it was always the final outcome; the effect it had on people. I guess that was why Finnegan was dealt so harshly with. Later, after Raven's congratulations towards our exploits and a speech to the new recruits, I saw him talking to Siphon. I heard the words "safety," "incognito," and "attracting attention". Siphon was being drilled about not showing off from what I was hearing, then again I was only guessing. But 'guessing' wasn't part of my mandate. I was an observer and I tried desperately to hold onto this mentality as the days drew on.

Geisha was a welcome return. I spied her during the speech but did not have a chance to talk with her until a day later. Though my view of her was tainted due to Zealot's loud mouth, I did not consider her equal to the other strippers. How could she be? It was like I was under her spell. A few steps close and my head would be halfway to Earth. "M'lord," she exclaimed as I surprised her with my presence. I laughed a bit and shook it off.

"It's Shade, not m'lord," I affirmed as I made my way around to her face that I could stare into for days. Even before I said the name Raven had given me it had started to solidify in my brain. I was no longer Marcus Tyson and the thought scared me. Anger birthed from my fear, the anger of not knowing my place in the  
universe.

She gave a quick smile. "I am bound to my oath, m'lord. I am here to help Raven and his kind, which is all I am here for." Her smile dissipated as she started to walk out again. The abruptness of the conversation tore at my bones. Why did she throw me off like a common dog? What was this 'oath' she was bound to? Hatred due to my confusion boiled inside of me and without thinking I reached to her arm, grabbing her forcefully. Her first reaction was to tear herself away but I was strong, sending her backward into my arms, my eyes blazing with hatred for my situation. This gesture came as a shock for her as her eyes grew large with terror and fear. In those eyes I saw pain. There was so much suffering in those bright blue eyes of her gaze. In my head I heard the voice of Zealot, her mocking tone prominent: "Probably 'entertaining' some lonely soldier." Those words echoed through my subconscious as my grip loosened. I was not like the men at this base.

"I'm sorry," I remarked slowly, moving her from my form. "I didn't... well, you know." I snapped at my word choice, so stupid and childish. "Its fine, I'll be off." I left her there, angrier than I was before I had entered.

A couple of days had passed since my encounter with Geisha. I was mortified by my actions. How could I resort to the ideals of murderers and thieves? But my mind wandered, it started to ponder these people around me. Were they so evil? Even the cruel Finnegan was laughing and shaking hands with his comrades. Now outside from his medical suspension he was all smiles. I wouldn't be, not with what he had just gone through. Though his gait showed sensitivity towards his lower regions he was still dexterous in his movements. His words also shared the same traits as he would jump from topic to topic, always talking to the human commandos and never the alien ones. Being a human, his gazed passed over me even though I was present at his public disgracing.

"I heard you had your first real mission awhile back," he stated with a cold drink in his hand. It was chilled with some sort of steam rising from the blue liquid. I could never have guessed what the hell the glass contained, only that it was probably alcoholic. "Siphon was leading that mission, right? Or was it Biasheta?" I told him it was Biasheta and he gave a laugh. "Siphon I can sorta stand, though his slimy exterior is quite mistrusting I do not mind his pious interior." He took a sip and breathed deeply after he had swallowed. "Ah yes, nothing better than a pious drell. They are better that way than talkative, I hate those ones." He shook his head then, staring into his drink. "You know, asari are a mystery to me. They call themselves the bringers of peace yet delight in the fancies of the species around them. They are twisted in their morals, delighting in pleasing one second then turning away from your touch the next. In my opinion they are asking to be taught a lesson." His gaze never left his glass through all this and I could detect a malicious nature to his tone. He was silent for a moment longer before he shook his head and grinned wider. "I guess that's why we humans could never do anything properly around them; our cocks replace our fucking heads." He patted me on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. "I'm surprised you survived her raging temper and her stupid other language, I envy you for your patience." With that he waved my drink in recognition towards my achievement then left for another with smiles and charms.

There was something to him. His hatred must have had a source, yet I could not tell what it was. I was no psychologist; that was Rhetoric's job. I had not seen her until the day after my incident with Geisha, a day before my 'talk' (if you could call it that) with Finnegan. She had approached me from afar, her long black hair down to her waist and her broadened and masculine features chiseled into her face. There were dark brown eyes that pierced at anything she could find. Logic steamed from her step, each step reverberating endlessly. I passed her slowly but a hand grasped by shoulder. "I heard about your conflict with Geisha." I cringed; I didn't want to talk about this now. "I want to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"That's what you think."

"Bullshit."

"Only lies my friend, only lies." I turned to her then. My eyes piercing at her.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"A friend, someone to lean a shoulder on. Trust me when I say I've dealt with cases like you before, I know what you're going to do, what you're going to say next. I know that you think I'm crazy and are going to evict every comment I have made from your head. But what you don't know is that you need help. Everyone here does. That's why I'm here."

I grinned. "Raven asked you, didn't he? You owe him some sort of debt. I have heard it all. Prince needs redemption from the geth research, Biasheta has been wronged by her culture, Zealot's been wronged by the military, etc. etc." I shook my head and took her hand on my shoulder. "What makes you so different from the rest of us, huh?"

"Raven owes me the favour." She patted my cheek. "Consider my offer, ask Thionan if you want to know where my room is. He knows it very well." With that she walked away and continued down the path she originally intended. She was right in the fact that I left that place thinking she was a load of bullshit. What she didn't expect was that I'd see her the next day and every week since that day.

My talks with her were brief and short. It was mostly me talking about my past. Good parents, good childhood, shitty young adulthood, stole a bit, drugs and alcohol; you know it all. Then the military picked me up. I rode the promotional ladder high until I finally received captaincy. Captaincy over my own ship, it was a beautiful vessel and was to be mine fully until the Reaper Wars happened. I got replaced by a more 'experienced' man who did his job well, mind you, but never had the morals. My morals; the ones that ruined me. I explained it to Rhetoric like this: "Imagine you are in a burning building and you have a chance to save someone's life, but the firemen command you to leave the person there and get away. What do you do? I chose to save that person; does that mean I'm bad?"

The thought, I remembered, intrigued her. "No," she explained slowly. "No you are not, but you did disobey orders."

I threw my hands in the air. "I had a chance to save that vessel; I heard their screams coming from the com system. It was a damaged reaper and I knew my guns could take it out. But I never expected that damn beam to wash over me and completely wreck my ship's sensors. I never asked for the weapons to overload and blow half my ship to hell. My men died due to my error in captaincy. I was never even supposed to lead that mission, the damn captain died earlier on! Do you know what it's like to be blamed for your morals? Do you?" I ended up yelling at her for no particular reason and slammed the door shut, ending the meeting early.

The white halls drowned my agony. Their pristine colour mocked my dirty grime. I was a tainted blight to them. I had no place in this spotless area. As such, I took myself to the wooden double doors. I had been here before with Raven laughing about 'moral boasting'. I was so sure he would never use that term again. I opened the doors and entered slowly into where the asari had been beaten, unhinging the buttons on my jacket and unzipping it all the way down. It was cleaner than when I had entered in previously, yet still retained the woody, musky scent. It was dark, oppressing, and comforting. The darkened nights of my cell were as comfortable as this and as tantalizingly beautiful. I heard someone say that this was the last room to be renovated after Finnegan's betrayal, how Raven was to make this look like the rest of the building. Overreaction? Probably.

Standing there, my jacket open to my sweaty white undershirt and I felt alive. It was in that gloom I saw another, hiding in the corner. It was a female, her black hair bundled into a bun with chopsticks holding it in place. I made a motion towards her causing my foot to crackle against the wood. Instantly her hood was up and her rouse was gone, I knew who it was. "Hello Yeswayla."

I could not decipher what expression shifted across her face. The lights here were dim at best and the three bulbs hanging by string did not enhance the mood at all. "You like the darkness too, don't you Shade?" She asked. The words were lulling off her tongue.

A sigh came from my lips. "Ya, ya I suppose I do."

I could faintly make out the outline of her shape: she was in the corner of the room, her back to a stack of wooden boxes. The lights flickered into brightness from time to time, allowing me momentarily to see her more clearly. "I guess you found me out then Shade, you found my 'secret' base." She raised both hands and 'air quoted'.

"I have never seen you near the other men. You don't like their company?"

She shrugged. "I don't mind it. I sometimes enjoy it. Most of the time they eye me weirdly, like I'm going to steal their wallets." I looked at her curiously, taking a few more steps closer. She noticed my confusion. "I'm a thief here, that's what they call me. Personally I prefer 'professional kleptomaniac', I think it's much better, don't you?"

I stopped my advanced and shrugged. "Some people call me a murderer."

She turned around more fully, her face full of humor. "No!" She exclaimed sarcastically, throwing down her legs by the side of the box. "How could someone like you be such a ruthless killer?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask them?"

Her head shook. "I don't want their opinion, I want yours."

I pondered this thought for a moment. "Well, I never wanted to kill. Guns were handed to my young hands and I assumed I was to fire with them. The orders never are specific, they can't be anymore. All imagination, no reality." I started to pace. "Murderer? No, I'm not that. A killer? Now that fits my description perfectly." I looked to the ceiling. "That's why I like the darkness so much, I suppose. I don't have to hide in it, it hides me well enough."

My gaze leveled once more and she was gone. Then I felt wind rush by my head and I felt her arms around my neck, her hands resting on my chest. "I like the cities for the same reason, Shade. I love the hiding possibilities. I love staying out of sight, then following a guy down the street for miles. His destination is always the same for me, motivation is key. What twinkles in the eyes are his desires. Desires tell you what his pocket book is like and if he's worth the steal." I felt her hands rub up and down my chest. "I can tell you're a very interesting person, maybe I'll 'borrow' something from you sometime."

With that I felt a rush of wind once more as I whipped around to find nothing there. I was alone. Alone without my gun or my ammo clips. I swore and looked around, calling out to her. She had to be here, didn't she? At last I heard a fading voice in the rafters. "No promises that I'll return what I've borrowed though." With that I was alone and I stomped my foot to the ground and swore.

"Talking to yourself, eh bro?" I whisked around to find Thionan at the door, softly chuckling to himself. I looked around the room trying to justify Yeswayla, but Thionan only laughed at me. "That's what you get for trusting Neko." I looked to him and he sighed, throwing up his hands. "It's the damn codename, Shade!" My true name was thrown out and I immediately regretted it. I felt like I had lost a part of me. This thought was broken by Thionan's next comment. "Oh, Raven wants to see you by the way. I looked over this whole damn base to find you."

I cocked my head. "Raven? What does he want with me?"

"Be damned if I knew."

* * *

"See these lights, the dancing purple, blue, and gold? See how they pulsate and dance in the stars? I guess that's the asari culture for you, always trying to be as discrete in their cockiness as they can be." I was standing beside Raven going up in a large elevator. Before us was glass and before that was the city of Illium. It was a stark contrast compared to Omega; the dingy criminal scum a few systems away. No, here it was pristine and clear, the sky a milky orange and the clouds dark against the stars. "In the end though I admire it, they don't try to be something that they're not. Peacekeepers and diplomats are what they are made up of. Sleeping with races to get on their good sides comes with the job, naturally."

I had been picked personally by Raven to go on this mission with him. From what I had been told from his briefing we were to meet with a contact of his to secure his plans that would be initiated in the coming days. We took a small craft piloted by the best, according to Raven, and did not enter in discretely. We passed through all the checkpoints and were asked a multitude of questions, never once did they wonder about Raven's mask. We did not wear our regular uniforms; I wore casual attire while Raven wore a suit. He gave me a small handgun to fit in my coat. I passed through the security points nervously but was never caught once for the gun I held.

We passed through the rooftop streets as one of them: the people who were too busy to gaze. Their eyes darted from store to store, their technology buzzing in their hands. Their minds were a computer and Raven only wanted them to snap so that they would realize what had become of them. Through the chaotic streets we rose into the elevator where Raven talked to me about asari, where Raven talked to me about society.

"Our contact is asari, right?" I questioned softly. Raven looked to me from the window.

"Yes, a good one at that. Respect her and she will respect you. Those're the type of people I like most. They are the ones who do not shy away from standing up for themselves. At the same time they don't shy away from treating you equally." The sky shifted and the lights of the city basked us in their glow. I looked to my hands. Bright colours, vibrant designs that coursed my veins. I was a tapestry of art, a mirror of the universe's own reflection. Yet I was molded as human, a gun close to my heart. I was breakable.

We reached the top floor and stepped out. The scarlet carpet was laid before us as we walked to the secretary of his contact. Raven spoke: "I'm here for an appointment." The lady at the counter looked to him in confusion, possibly distain. Hey eyes darted to his sides as she took off her glasses. She was human.

"I'm guessing you didn't bring guns this time?" _Guns?_

"You know me," he replied warmly, "I'm always full of surprises."

The lady at the counter shook her blonde head. "That's what I'm afraid of." After a few precise types on her holographic keypad she motioned us into a room. The doors opened in harmony, welcoming us in. "She will see you in a few minutes, try not to touch anything."

Raven laughed. "No promises." With that I started to follow behind Raven but was promptly stopped by the woman.

"Now where did he pick you up?"

My nose wrinkled in displeasure. "I came of my own accord," I asserted. I was laughed at for my reply.

"I know a liar when I see one, trust me hon. Raven wants you." I turned from her to see Raven beckoning me with his open hand. I followed him in and this time he stayed behind me.

Once the doors closed behind us, he spoke: "Sometimes it is not only the 'aliens' who are faulted, but the 'humans' as well. Think on it." He walked around the room looking at the bookshelves that lined the walls. His hands were clasped behind his back and he whistled as his pointed black shoes treaded on the silk carpet. I, in turn, took a seat on a velvet chair that was near a desk. The desk was oak, solid and strong with defining features of asari art and culture. Goddess' that danced and clapped rings that strung bells and whistled causing many to follow in their footsteps. The work it must have taken to create such a work was staggering and I was awestruck that such beauty was in a lowly office. I noticed Raven opening the blinds and peering to the scene below us. There was a chuckle. "The relocation of humans has worked well here, they are quite well adapted, don't you say?"

"I guess," was my reply, monotone, "but it did cost us our planet."

Raven shut the blinds and sighed. "Our planet was doomed to start with. We needed it reborn in crimson flame, to be created again for a new evolution of human and the universe. What we got was radiation that burned the skin, charred the mind. No one wanted to do the work, it was easier to relocate the few than affect the many." His mask turned to me and from there I could see the harsh leather that was plastered to his skin. "It's always about numbers, Shade. For that reason the universe will burn. We need a different type of universe, one where numbers do not dictate possibilities. A universe where we work for what we believe in instead of sitting around and relocating ideals and jobs so we, the higher class, are not burdened."

"Ah Raven," came a voice from behind as his eyes swept past me and my body twirled to the side. Behind me was an asari in a red silk dress. It was long and flowing, not work related at all. Then again, what Raven said about asari struck my mind again and I realized its meaning. "You and your extravagant speeches about order and justice. Don't you say anything else?"

"A bit late aren't we?" He asked coyly.

"Been out dancing, you know us asari." She gave a wink in Raven's direction, completely ignoring me. "Did not have time to change, sadly. But you don't mind do you?" Raven shook his head.

In a few moments after he bowed his head and tucked his arm into his stomach, Raven replied. "It is a pleasure to see you again Arnia S'Loinus." The asari waved his comment off and walked over to her desk. Once seated, she motioned for him to do the same and Raven did.

"Aren't we acquainted enough not to have to use formalities, Raven?"

"We are in the presence of another, Arnia."

She looked to me and gave a quick sigh. "A shame," she muttered under her breath. _Thanks_, I thought sarcastically, _thanks a-fucking-lot. _Arnia returned her gaze to Raven and gave a wide smile. "So, what is the business for today? Sharp knives, ballistic missiles, deadly poisonous gas?" She put a finger to her lip and after a moment her eyes grew wide with realization. "Oh, you want the really deadly stuff don't you? You want to murder someone secretly!"

Raven shook his head. "Not today I'm afraid," _I'm afraid?_ "No, today you don't get to have much 'fun'. I want some contacts drilled up, some passes for quarian security and ID for the Rannoch scientific research center." Raven produced a stack of pages from his coat and placed it on her desk. She took them and started to flip through the pages, looking slightly bored now that she had no 'fun' work.

Her gaze rose from the pristine pages. "Now what the hell would you want this for?" The light on her desk turned on. Must be the night cycle of the planet, but it was not the brightness that bothered me, it was the colour. It was a deep blue, hazy and misty, contradicting the vibrant red below and contrasting her dress. "I mean the usual stuff you want me to do is hook up people, never anything like this."

Raven leaned forward in his chair, his ass almost off the edge. "I thought you liked the 'fun' stuff?"

Arnia placed the papers on her desk then threw herself back. Her glance was towards the window, her eyes trying to look through the cracks in the blinds. "I lie, ok? I say these things so I can impress people. You know me; I quivered when you brought my first contact." Her head turned and her once confident eyes turned watery. "Sometimes I can't handle it."

Raven's gaze was soft and kind. He put his hand in his hair and ruffled his long black hair, his gaze returned from the floor to her shortly after. "This is important Arnia; this is about the preservation of our universe. This galaxy is sick, our people are sick-"

"It's the same thing you've always told me before," she interrupted, standing up now and making her way to the window. Her slender blue hands drew the blind up and revealed the city below drenched in darkness. Lights twinkled brighter than stars; it looked like it could be day from all the lights. "How could you want to change all this? They're peaceful down there, Raven."

He shook his head and stood up. "We both know that is a lie Arnia. Down below in that city of the sleepless there are people who think and people who follow blindly. I'm pretty sure all the thinking ones are up here." Her sigh was low and groggy, embedded with years of sleepless nights. She turned to Raven, the bags under her eyes all the more prevalent.

"You know what the lowlife on Omega say about us?" Raven didn't move, his answer to her question was simple enough. "On Illium you can't tell whether its night or day. In the streets you only see lights, light so bright you can't tell whether you're awake or dreaming. They call us sleep-walkers; they call us dreamers of the day."

"I call you complacent." Her head whisked back to the window, her reflection showing her angered gaze. "I call you cowards for not fighting back. You sit and you watch, restless in your beds but you do nothing to change it. Arnia, the galaxy is far from perfect nowadays. If the reapers did one thing it was drone us out to justice. We accept what we see and say that it is good enough for us when it isn't." He motioned to the scene outside. "This is not how organic beings should live. This is systematic chaos: the urge to purge the night and find humility and our destiny. The stars are our destiny, the early humans thought it was and so do your kind." He walked over to her desk, his black leathered hand grazing over the trinkets until they found a picture frame. He picked it up and chuckled, it was of another asari and Arnia. I guessed it was her lover.

He motioned to the frame and when she saw that he held it, she burst out in fear. "Don't break it!" She commanded.

"What will you do for this?" He asked strongly, toying with the frame in his hand. "If I break it will you kill me? Will you risk trying to take me down now? Are you going to fight for your love?" Her gaze was of hate and anger, I found myself in the middle of a tug-of-war, tension and anxiety building every second. "Shade," he stated calmly, "bring out your gun and point it at her."

"Wait, what-?"

"Do as I say." I did and lifted my gun to her face. The expression changed from anger to mortified fear. She looked back and forth from me to Raven, her gaze now looking for a way out.

"How did... how did you—"

"You know me well enough to know I have methods of getting what I want. So now," he toyed with the picture once more, taking it in both hands and cocking his head towards it, "will you try and fight until you die for this emotion or will you submit?" Arnia looked back and forth then with calm deliberate movements, raised her hands in the air, depicting her choice perfectly.

A sigh escaped from Raven's lips as he placed the picture face down on the table. He barked an order at me to turn the gun away; I did so gladly, mouthing 'sorry' towards the asari. I don't think she noticed, she had too many tears in her eyes. That night I think I forced myself to believe that she noticed so my conscious would be at rest. She saw the picture unharmed and then lowered her arms, immediately thanking Raven. "Thank you so much, you have no idea—"

A single finger rose to command her silence and her reply reflected that. The finger curled into his fist as he placed it behind him with his other hand. "This is why I exist, Arnia. I do not blame you for your lack of emotion and focus; I blame the circus outside your window." He walked over to the open window once more and cocked his head towards the scenery below. "You could all sleep if you wanted to tonight, but the government below would not let you. Next time you see your lover tell her this: spread my words and tell her you will do anything for her. I want this world to return to its roots, emotions and beauty instead of artificial logic." He shook his head and started to make his way to the door. "All the information on the ID fabrication is in there, I expect to have these things at the latest in a few days. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, Raven."

He chuckled softly. "Good. Come Shade, we will be leaving now." He pressed a keypad as the door slid open for me to go through, but Raven lagged behind so he could have one last word with the asari. "This is what peace has given us Arnia: complacency. One day we will reach our evolutionary peak where logic, emotion, and strength will abolish complacency, harshness, and fear. Fear drives our society now, Arnia. Don't let it drive you." With that the grey doors closed shut and we were alone in the crimson hall once more, the human secretary's mouth agape.

I still remembered her face though; Arnia's face as Raven took the picture in both his hands. Fear drove through those eyes as tears fell. She wanted to save that picture yet the gun to her head stopped all action. My gun. In my hand. These thoughts coursed through my head. If Raven had commanded it, could I have kill her? Would he have killed her? Compassion, does it exist for him? More and more thoughts drove deep into my skull as I found myself lying in my bed unable to sleep. But Raven's words rang true. He had shown me society's flaws and for that I should have thanked him. I still don't know if I should thank him or curse him, but I do know I will never forget Arnia's face.

I could not drift off for the rest of the night.

In the end, I was dreaming awake.

* * *

**According to my planning sheet, this chapter marks the end of "Act 1". Everything has been set up and now the stage is set from some exciting things to be thrown down. Thanks again for all the reviews. They really make it worthwhile and I appreciate everything you all have to say. It fills me with such amazing confidence when I hear that you guys are enjoying my work.**


	12. One Step Ahead

**Chapter 12: One Step Ahead**

_"I took the umbrella to my house and stared long and hard at it. Who was she? Why did she give me such a gift? Questions to questions, answers to answers._

_"So I slept on it for a day. Then another, then another. Then work came and I did a patrol along an alleyway. Then I slept again. My friend's death tolled on me and each time the fee for passing grew. I found myself in debt to a cause I did not know about. I felt lost to a cause I did not wish to participate in._

_"This wandering sickness held me in its grasp for days until the urge to escape could not last any longer and I searched her name in the city's residential network. Her number was quickly found and for a moment I read the digits aloud in my apartment. I could not move, could not ask the phone to call her. I stood there dumbfounded until my words found voice and the phone started to ring._

_"'Hello?'_

_"'It's me,' I replied, 'the man at the stop. I know it's late and all but I was wondering—'_

_"'I knew you'd come around eventually,' she stated, seeming so confident with her words. "Coffee. My place. 10 tonight. Hope you like your coffee black.'_

_"I didn't, but to sit down and relax once more I would give anything a try."_

* * *

Five days passed since my trip with Raven to Illium. Five days of sitting around waiting for the plans that Raven held. Nothing happened, however. The first few days I walked around. The room Yeswayla had called her own became mine as well. We even met a few times; often she ducked out with another one of my guns. I did not see Geisha in this time and nor did I want to. The previous actions I had displayed coursed through my heart and I felt great remorse over any words I had yet to utter. In the end, my only company was Thionan (who I now called Chameleon in public), Prince, Yeswayla (Neko), and Rhetoric. The latter person is the one I mostly filled my days with.

I would never summon her, ironically. She would always have Geisha on the broadcast system (something I grew agitated from) call me down to her office. I would begrudgingly follow the orders, for I knew the penalties of not following Rhetoric's commands. There I would talk with her back and forth, debating my life and my purpose. Often I would storm off in a fury, profanity spewing from my lips. But the last occasion in those five days I did not leave of my own accord. Rhetoric sent me out, telling me that the next person was to enter. She later remarked as I headed out that she was pleased that my attitude had finally changed. It was at that moment I broke my friendly demeanor and swore at her again.

Thionan laughed at that story. It was on the fifth day and we were walking down the halls with Prince to the armory. Thionan mentioned he wanted to see Zealot and "try his turian charms on her". I knew he would obviously fail, but his persistence I admired. "I can't believe you called her a fucking bitch!" His laughter had gone on long enough in my opinion and I asked him to stop. "Stop?" He repeated with a grin. "Why the hell would I stop? That is probably the greatest thing I have ever heard anyone say to that bitch." He shook his head, laughter continuing unabated. "A fucking bitch, heh, that is truly hilarious."

I shrugged. "I don't know; felt sort of bad after it."

The turian's eye looked to mine. "Seriously? I mean I'm all for consciousness but she really deserved that. You know what she said to me the last time I went in there?"

It was not I who answered his question but Prince. "What did she say, humour us Chameleon."

Thionan flashed a glance at Prince before his eyes returned in front of him. "She said I swore too much. Swore! 'You have a dirty tongue,' she said. What a load of bullshit if I ever have seen it." He shook his head. "What nerve to say that in a place where a loose tongue gives you a free meal every day."

"And tomorrow you will see her again," replied Prince to no one in particular. "Is that what we are: men who have no words anymore? Don't back up our morals? Are we so worried about our next meal that we will continue to go to the hand that hits us for food?"

Thionan sighed and shook his head. "Prince, do us a favour and shut the fuck up about philosophy. It reminds me too much of Raven. That's something I don't want to talk about right now."

I groaned and looked at him. "What did you do now? Do I have to clear something up?" First it had been taking extra rations, and then it was flirting while on duty. Thionan was a recipe for disaster with our commander.

"Not fucking saying," was his reply.

I started to chuckle and he asked me on it. "You do swear a lot though, Chameleon. I don't say this often but damn, Rhetoric was right." He looked back at me.

"You're a fucking hypocrite Shade, you're a fucking hypocrite."

I smiled. "Aren't we fucking all?"

We entered into the armoury to find Zealot cleaning a gun completely drenched in blood. It was a light yellow filament that looked almost clear. Below her lay a ghither, its three pronged jaw open letting loose a trail of its ghastly smelling blood. I heard Prince gag and I proceeded to mimic his response. Thionan, however, just stood in dumbstruck awe.

Zealot soon saw us and raised a brow. "What are you three looking at?" Her eyes followed our gaze and she found her own answer. "Oh, that." She shook her head, droplets of blood spilling onto the floor like rainwater. "It's nothing, you three should do something productive with your time. I heard Raven ordered Geisha to send us some more equipment. It's just in the room back—"

"You think we are here for weapons?" Yelled out Thionan. There was silence. "Holy shit Zealot, you really need to see what's in front of you..." His words started to fade as his eyes noticed the wounds Zealot had on her body. She had no body armour on, only the Viper uniform. Being black it was hard to see the dark blue blood the drenched her body. Only after taking off her outer jacket did her white undershirt reveal her grievous wounds.

"Well why the hell would you be here for any reason other than that?" She fired back, not caring about stripping her jacket off in front of the men before her. She was of military, born and bred. Her society deemed gender insignificant a long time ago. "Honestly, if it's about what I said last time—"

"Fuck, Zealot!" Thionan started to plead as he started towards her, his hands outreached. "Don't you see the wounds on your damn body?"

Her eyes glanced to her scaled, slender arms. Blue blood coursed down and dripped to the floor, she was nonchalant about it all however. "Well of course I'll be injured dammit! I found a fucking ghither for Palaven's sake!"

Thionan started to argue with her, talking about how she was reckless and crazy. She responded that he was too emotional and caring about her safety. She called these things 'weaknesses' and that Thionan's stupidity would be the death of her. These comments made Thionan thrash out again, which in turn, caused Zealot to yell. In the middle of all this were Prince and I standing awkwardly as the two turians screamed at each other. I heard Prince softly cough into his hand and I noticed the gesture. He was uncomfortable and so was I, in fact. So we snuck around to the blast shields of the armoury and started to fiddle with the weapons. We occasionally stuck our head out and would pull them in again once we heard their words continuing to blaze.

Prince would only mutter; "I hate turian hierarchy sometimes."

I nodded. "The military is no life for a normal citizen. I heard they take you when you're young and force you into a training facility. Every man, woman, and child brought into the fight." I looked out the blast shield to see the turian female basically stripped naked in front of Thionan. The other male turian, however, did not bat an eyelash; it could possibly be that their physiology was so similar, but it could also be that they were so angry they didn't care.

"Well, there's that," spoke the quarian with a lightly coyness to him. "It's also the fact that Chameleon won't tell his damn feelings to her." I looked from the quarian to the turians outside. Thionan's eye blazed with passion, Zealot's eye burned with defiance. I could not help but see this flower as a lost blossom. Spring would never come for the turians, that was what the cynical side told me. My emotional side told me that all would be well. In the end the cynical side gained a point in its favour as the conversation turned ugly.

I heard a loud sound. It was like someone smashing their hand against a cement wall. I turned to find Thionan with his face to the floor and Zealot standing over him, her hand outstretched. Slowly and carefully, the male turian rose to his feet and wiped the blood blue with the back of his hand. He gazed for a moment at his own blood, then at the female turian's. He took her arm and in a swift motion touched both arms together along the side, the blood imprinted facing up. "Stop touching me, Chameleon!" She tried to squirm out but his grip was too strong. Her eyes blazed further and I decided to break from the glass prison and end this conflict before it became too violent.

"Look," started Thionan as I raced out of the glass room, "see my blood on my arm? Now look to yours." She did just as he asked; my guess was to humour him. "It is the same blood, from the same species. I am here to help you Zealot. Not out of some half-assed bond through gang but out of something much deeper." He gazed at her. "I am bonded by blood."

He let her arm drop limply as she stared at the floor, dumbstruck and confused as to what to say next. It was the first time I had ever seen Zealot vulnerable and it scared me slightly. Prince joined my side and prodded me to interrupt. After a few more moments of tense silence, I cleared my throat. "Ah... ahem... ummm guys—"

Before another syllable could roll of my lips, the lull of another voice broke through the com. It was Geisha. "All Viper members report to the mess hall. I repeat: all Viper members to the mess hall. Thank you." There was a crack of static as the com went dead. I looked to the two turian's before me, nervous and confused as to what to do.

"It's fine, Shade," spoke Thionan slowly. "Zealot and I will be a bit late to the meeting—"

"The hell we won't be!" She interrupted as she tried to grab her clothes, but to no avail. Thionan held her in a lock.

"As I was saying," he continued monotone, "can you tell Geisha or Raven why we'll be late? Say its... personal matters." I wanted to defy him, tell him to grow up and come with us. But the fire in his eye, the hurt that was embedded in his voice. I had known Thionan for a long time, even before the Vipers. He never showed pain. Now he did and I would not reject this sacred trust.

I grabbed Prince's arm, stating: "We are leaving now."

"Wait, but, what?" He spluttered as I dragged him out of the armoury.

The last words of Thionan were starting to fade out. "Why did you kill a ghither Zealot?"

"I... I...I—"

"I want the truth."

"I... I was trying to prove myself."

"You do not have to do so anymore, Zealot." To that end the door slide shut with an unceremonious whine.

* * *

We were the first to enter and the first to sit down. Tables and chairs were set up into sections and my companion and I took the closest table to Raven. The man in the black suit did not wear his leather mask and his beard was gone. His silk black hair still remained but his face was clean shaven. Only at that point did I realize the young age of the man. I would not have put him past forty with a beard, I doubted his age could even reach that maximum. He acknowledged our presence but did not grace us with words. _Typical Raven_, I thought with a huff.

At one point, as people started to file in, I asked him what the meeting would entail. "You're not planning on leaving, are you?" He questioned.

"No, no I'm not," I replied confidently.

"Good, then you can wait and see. Never ask a question you'll soon get an answer to Shade, it has a tendency to tick off the people giving the answer. Humans, as well as most species, don't like to repeat themselves twice." I considered myself answered as I pressed my lips together firmly.

Prince leaned over to me. "Well, that went well I think."

"Shut up, Prince."

"Shutting up in progress, sorry." My eyes dashed to him and he nodded slowly, crossing the faint line of his mouth beneath his visor with a single, slender finger. I rolled my eyes and returned my gaze to the watchful Raven. Once the room was filled to fifty percent occupancy there was a sharp click as his mask fell into place on his face. The dark red grooves would return tomorrow.

The room fell silent at the command of the dark figure before them. The last few stragglers started to come in and I noticed Thionan and Zealot part of this group. Her clothing was changed from before and her wounds did not produce anymore blood, though by her stiff walk I noticed that her bandages were quite uncomfortable. They sat at the back. Finally, the final guest came through the doors and walked down the center aisle towards the leader. She turned and her face was revealed to the crowd, though her hair had already given away her identity. Geisha was to address the crowd before Raven spoke.

"You all know your place in this syndicate. You all know your role. Now is the most crucial time to play your part, to understand and accept your role and to fight for the freedom we all so desire." There was a loud cheer to her words, one I did not participate in and soon regretted. "Now I present to you your leader: Raven."

Shouts and cheers were thrown high as Raven straightened himself and took a few steps down the center aisle. Geisha bowed before him, then went to the empty seat beside me. She gave me a smile once seated and I gave a weak smile back, I felt uncomfortable and completely alone in that moment. I noticed how there were a few seats beside the one she took, but she did not proceed to take them. My mind wandered, _was this motion a peace offering?_ I could not continue this thought fore Raven started to speak with his hands grasped behind his back.

"Today is the day we take our first steps into the light of the galactic community!" Everything went dead silent to the bodacious voice of Raven. They were too voracious for his words, too hungry for his next syllable. Even I awaited the next words he would speak. "Today is the day we will take our stand. But today is not the day to show our faces. No, today we will show our hand to the ones who try to stop us. The ones who are not enlightened, who only see the future an arm's length away. Right now, in this room, are our first steps into what will be a glorious future for us all and I need you on my side now. So, who's with me?" Cheers rang from the rafters high. Members started to stand and cheer; I looked around and saw enthusiasm. And though my place here was of a peaceful nature, I could not help but get riled by the excitement.

"Now you ask, what is this mission? What is my purpose?" He started to pace around, eyeing everyone meticulously. "I will answer both these questions in time. For now you will know that our mission entails the securing and capture of a crucial piece of quarian machinery." Little pockets of conversation started to begin but Raven did not pay any attention to them. "This device that they created is not on just any quarian home, but Rannoch." In an instant the whole room went silent. Raven seemed to bask in it, enjoying every little tick of the clock as seconds went by. I bet he was grinning. "Our mission is to infiltrate Rannoch, find the device, and then leave without anyone seeing our faces and associating any of us to this gang. They will know the Vipers entered in and took the device, they will not know that the people in this room did."

For a moment the information sank in. People got up and started to wander around the room, some people, I had noticed, thought best on their feet. Finally, Siphon stood up and spoke directly to Raven. "My god," he started slowly, "I understand the purpose of this plight. I understand why our identities are kept so close to us, why even now we do not know each others' names." A pause was given to let everyone in the room digest these thoughts. "But I do not know how we will accomplish this. How are we to enter into a place that is guarded by hundreds of ships, given infinite resources by the Council, and is the main base of operations for an entire species? Perhaps you could shed some light on this situation?"

Raven nodded and to that end, Siphon sat down. "I understand your worry, why you may doubt our ability to get in. However, I have contacts. The past few weeks – even months – I have been planning this. From setting up secret meetings with quarian officials, to expanding our numbers by accepting krogan demands, I have been setting this up every step of the way." A few face's lit up at that mention. They were the members of that mission, the people who were now so interwoven into the fabric of our group that they were like family. "The last field mission I went on, we visited an old asari friend of mine. Shade was also there. Tell us my friend, what did I ask of her?"

I felt the need to stand when I was called and stand I did. I turned and faced the group before me, their eyes beating into my coat. I took a sharp breath. "You asked for ID encryption software and fake IDs for any high level quarian facilities." I saw some eyes go wide and I felt my knees grow weak. I hated speaking in front of such large crowds. I swallowed nervously as I waited for Raven's next instructions.

"And did she give it to us?"

I paused, the answer right on my tongue. Feeling as if I was going to throw up at any moment, I licked my lips to calm myself. Then the hand of another was on mine. I turned and spied Geisha holding my hand tight, her eyes blazing with confidence, telling me privately, "You can do it." With her hand in mine, I could believe anything. "Yes Raven, she accepted your request generously."

Cheers came from the crowd, as well as suspicious eyes that looked to the hand that held mine. As the crowd roared he asked me to sit and I complied easily. Geisha's hand left mine and I returned to my seated position, calmer than before. Everyone followed as I did before Raven spoke once more.

"You should not worry however; this path we take is a safe one. We will leave tomorrow. Those who will join us will find a letter on their cot tonight requesting they meet at the designated location. Those who stay behind have equal responsibility however; they will move all the equipment to a designated location. After this mission we will move our base to a new location and a new home!" The whole area seemed to writhe with excitement. At last a human stood up and gave a loud cheer.

It was Finnegan. "We will follow you in whatever endeavour you take! Now everyone let us go to Rannoch!" The phrase 'To Rannoch!' was repeated multiple times. The members of the syndicate started to come together in the center of the mess hall, cheering and grasping each other in excitement. I even saw Prince move up and down, ready for the oncoming mission. I however was not so excited. With batted breath I hoped my cot would not hold a fated letter, I had seen enough death and participated in enough of it to last me a life time. I wished no more of it.

As people started to form together, Raven and Geisha left quietly, talking to each other. I could not hear what they were saying but I did not care. Most of these people worried about how we were going to get past the quarian security, I was worrying about what would happen when we did. Raven was too smart to be bounded by laws and orders. I knew that he would find a way to get what he wanted in that facility and that thought frightened me. I was not part of this gang, their morals were not my own. But as time wore on I started to understand them, agree with their methods. Losing myself was my greatest fear; not the fear of death.

I felt a tap on my shoulder as I turned quickly around to see Yeswayla before me. "Oh, Neko!" I said, trying to hide my shock. "I did not see you there, what's up?"

Yeswayla took me aside and showed me the room filled with excitement and joy. "Are you like them, Shade? Are you excited for this battle; are you one of the ones wanting to prove yourself?"

I looked around at the people jumping up and down. I sighed, "No, no I'm not. I guess..." My voice drifted off. S_hould I tell her? Would she even understand?_ I turned to her face and her eyes, those eyes of mischief looked back. Somewhere in that gaze I hoped I could trust her. "I don't want to lose who I am on this mission, if that makes any sense."

Her finger touched the bottom of her lip humorously as she cocked her head slightly. "Well, I think you shouldn't fear change, Shade. You always change no matter what you do. Why live in fear?" She looked out again and I followed her gaze. "Between you and me, I hope I get a letter. Not to prove myself to Raven, oh god no! But think of all the opportunities to... borrow quarian tech?" I looked to her and found that she was rubbing her belly and looking upwards hungrily. "Mmmmm good ol' quarian tech really hits the spot." She turned to me. "Well I do hope you find yourself Shade, tomorrow will be a... how shall we say, exciting day." She gave me a salute and I mirrored her gesture. Laughter erupted from her lips as I did so though.

I looked to my hand humorously. "What?" I asked eyeing it mischievously. "What's wrong with my hand?"

She grinned. "Oh nothing Shade, I just find your military traditions humorous." I shook my head and she laughed again at that. "Take care Shade, hopefully tomorrow I can get you to lose some of your rigid demeanour." She eyed my body slyly. "Guys always look best when their loose." With that she left, swaying her hips. I chuckled at her gesture. I chuckled until I found out that some of my credits were missing. I shook my head however. S_ame old Yeswayla, always liked nicking your stuff. _

At last people started to exit from the hall and I tried to find Prince. I could not; nor could I spy Thionan or Zealot again, though I knew that I would see Thionan when I entered my room. His room was directly linked to mine; it would be inevitable that I would see him again. I walked to my room alone, trepidation coursing through my veins. My talk with Yeswayla definitely eased my worrying but I knew it would only grow tomorrow. At last I opened my room and entered into my darkened humble abode. Once the light went on my fears had meaning: there was a single black letter on my bed.

I had been chosen.


	13. The Raid

**Chapter 13: The Raid**

_"I arrived at a door. It was oak and sturdy. A finger rubbed the frame; it was oiled and well kept. My hand retracted and then collided with the door. A dull ache streamed from it to my hand. I repeated the sound again. Once the sound had drawn its course, the female from before opened the door. She still had her short black hair and eyes that burned with the fire of intelligence. Lost in her gaze for a moment she commented on the roses in my hand. I looked to the bleached flowers and rubbed the back of my head, handing them to her. 'They are for you,' I reasoned. 'Don't want to go into someone's house empty handed.'_

_"She laughed and proceeded to take them and place them in a vase. 'Roses are beautiful flowers,' she said lucidly. 'Impossible to grasp fully, yet delicate and beckoning. Almost like a bad dream eh?' I turned to her from the scenery of the room. There were paintings strewn along the walls. Mostly paste with sharp, vibrant colours dictating their shape and emotion. Some had scribbles on them, invoking rage and ferocity from the artist. 'Those things?' She questioned absentmindedly. 'A hobby of mine, I can take them down—'_

_"'Impossible,' I interrupted, my mouth still agape, 'such beauty should never be hidden.' I turned to her face, beaming and smiling her confident smile. Oh I was so young back then._

_"We talked and had coffee. It was indeed black and bitter. I did not mind, the sharpness was surprisingly welcome in my mouth. The whole scene felt like a dream, it seemed impossibly tangible yet ridiculously sound all the same. Contradictions to motion, to sound. Soon I found myself at the door, wanting to stay but knowing the night was only so young. I saw some longing in her eyes. Our talks were of peace and providence and society, I doubt she had many of these before. Those back irises that danced about an eternal flame, it was the flame of life. I scuffed my shoes on the floor, beckoning myself to stay, but I couldn't, the military wouldn't allow it. But my words seemed to form meaning before my ears as I spoke something I had only questioned in my mind._

_"'Again?'_

_"A smile. 'Again.' That was one of the loveliest dual syllables I had ever heard. _

_"A | gain."_

* * *

I had wrung my hands until I felt that blood could never pass through them again. They were dry like yellow leaves on trees. I could feel my pulse weakening as we descended through the atmosphere. We were almost there. Three seconds in and my heart was already racing. Melodies caressed my ear; Geisha was singing again and people were cheering. It was the song that had awoken me on my first day of consciousness in the gang, it was also playing now. Thionan was beside me, laughing and slapping Prince on the back. So carefree, not worried about anything around them. I sighed; I was probably over thinking this.

My hands stopped their wringing and rested on my rifle. I could name all the specs, all the corporations who had their hands involved in its making. But weapon should never be given names; they are only tools to be fired. Personality dictates choice and weapons never have any choice in where they shoot. I chuckled to myself; I guess I shouldn't have a name then.

"What's so funny, Shade?" I turned to the voice and found it originator was Thionan.

I shook my head; I did not want to tell him the truth. "Just nervous that's all, chuckling helps sooth the nervousness." A jolt and I grappled the gun tighter. Thionan looked and laughed. Of course he was on my side, but the constant reminder of his wayward personality did not help the fact. I loosened my grip and placed the gun on my back. It morphed down into a more reasonable size, allowing me to sit back in my seat more comfortably. I looked to Thionan, "You're not scared?"

He laughed again; it was loud and slightly obnoxious. People noticed but turned their heads away, no one really payed much attention to Thionan and I guess that's why he was so loud. "I've done enough missions like these to know the drill. We get in and we get out, simple, easy, and little bloodshed. I tell you, Raven's a master with these kinds of things." He placed his hands behind his head as his mandibles clicked and chattered away.

"I suppose, just have a bad feeling about all this."

Prince, across from me in the seating area, looked and gave me a compassionate smile through his visor. "I understand what you mean Shade, I remember first joining Raven. The gang was much smaller, sure, but there was always the great fear. A fear I still feel now. It'll never leave you but you'll adapt, I can promise you that." The tone of the quarian's words was friendly, yet the words that burst out were not so kind.

Thionan noticed this and patted me on the back. "Don't listen to Prince, he's always so down about everything!"

The quarian stood up. "I am not—"

"I bet you can't even say one sentence without adding a negative intonation to it!"

There was a twinkle in the quarian's eye, whether it was the vapour in the mask or his actual eye I would never know. "I could say the same about you."

Thionan matched him by standing up. "I bet you can't!" The quarian simply gestured towards Thionan's words to which the turian realized he had proven Prince's point. He sat down then, muttering only, "Shit, you got me quarian." We shared a laugh there, it too was loud and the passengers around us started to move. We were in a lounge of sorts on the left side of the ship. It was comfortable and large. Raven told us that we should rest before our great mission; the trip would take a few hours and he thought we should wait in style. That was why he had stationed Geisha here: crew morale. I could say with confidence that it was a welcome introduction. After her hand touched mine on that day in front of the whole syndicate, I had felt at peace. I knew my words had not hurt her like I thought they did. Now I could be near her, though I dared not say anything. Shit, I had been really pathetic back when that had happened.

After our laughter was shared, we each held a moment of silence. We did not know what to say and, wisely so, did not try to break the silence. The other members of the gang found this a welcome relief as well, for now their quite conversations could continue uninterrupted and those listening to Geisha's song could hear it more clearly. Even I turned my ear to the melodies that came from her voice.

_A picture by my side_

_Is all that remains_

_In death_

_In life_

_In eternal grace_

_The reports of your fighting_

_Never returned to me_

_During death_

_During life_

_During eternal grace_

_Come back to me_

_Come back to me_

_You cannot be gone, I won't allow it_

_Come back to me_

_Come back to me_

_This won't be the en—_

"Have you ever thought about the lyrics?" I shook my head from the voice that had interrupted my listening. I turned to Prince as he was staring at the standing woman. He was mesmerized like the rest, yet his methodical pose suggested otherwise.

Thionan shook his head at the comment. "What the hell do you mean? Is it a quarian tradition to ruin the entertainment of other species?"

Prince shrugged softly, not letting the motion affect the position of his arms and body. There was intelligence in those eyes, I'm not sure if he really cared to show it. He seemed so shut himself up in his own little world, in fact most quarians I met did. "There's want, need, and sadness. This was sung by the dancers in the soldiers cabins during the First Contact War?" Thionan shrugged, I nodded. I had asked Geisha on the origin of the song long ago and found its whole story. Some wives and daughters of the soldiers would send messages to the soldiers through their songs and dances. Tones and poses would reflect their image and soldiers who knew these things would be reminded of their loved ones. Geisha said it was to keep the husbands and lovers faithful. I smiled at the memory; it had only been a few short days after my release. My eyes could not stop their gazing at the lovely woman. In that silence I could feel the pain of the soldiers, and it must have been so hard to be so far from the ones they loved. A lot like I had been in that room.

"What's your point?" Shot Thionan who was lying back in his seat nonchalantly.

A faint smile washed over the quarian's face. "I guess she's reminding us of our loved ones, Thionan, trying to keep us faithful." The turian's mandibles clicked as his brow rose and Prince gave a soft chuckled. "I think she believes the mission is our only true love and rightly so." His gaze fell back to the woman singing. "In the end I guess everything is about the mission, we never find peace because we never want it." That shut Thionan up pretty damn good.

We stayed silent until the noise in the room started to come to its natural close. Geisha's song drifted off, again incomplete, as our ship slowed from light speed. Once broken from our flight I noticed our ship surrounded by the geometrically shaped ships of the quarians. Turian ships were also mixed in, same with the Human Alliance and both Thionan and I raised our brows. "You know anything about this?" I asked him curiously.

"Not a thing, not a thing," he said, his gaze equally as questioning. There was a soft rumble as our engines slowed. To this my teeth barred. We were disguised as a simple trading vessel, storing large amounts of technology for the quarian research facility. It was a risk gambit, especially with our ground crew a fraction of the size of the ship's crew. The ship, my god, the ship could not stand a few volleys from a dreadnought, let alone all the ships in the atmosphere of this planet! You can forgive me for feeling worried.

Another rumble sounded as a slight, hard beep was played across the com. It was short, sweet, and single toned. I knew the signal and so did the rest of the crew: we were to wait in our designated areas until further notice; a boarding party would be coming on soon.

I could not say how long we waited until the fated two toned ring would put us all at ease again. The silence was eerie and I could see the stressed expressions of everyone in that room. Geisha was near a table with drinks; her slender hands grasped a cup with strength. Worry creased her face as she stared into the drink. Looking back only now do I realize how worried we all were.

Then, before anyone had expected it, the sound ran its course and the ship lurched forward once more. We had made it past initial security and to this the people in the room started to cheer and laugh to one another. A chant started as our little frigate sped towards Rannoch. While Thionan and Prince laughed and teased about how worried they were, I inhaled sharp breaths. Geisha noticed this and gave me a small smile. It did not help. My eyes closed as I laid my head back into the seat I resided in. Three seconds in and I would see Rannoch.

I did not have to wait long to see the planet with my bare eyes. A ceremonious crash of metal on concrete signalled our arrival. From there we made our way from the recreational lounge. Each step was hard and tactile, each breath a cold phantom. From our long hallway walk we reached a break, a few went down the right including Thionan, Prince, Geisha, a few others, and I went down the left. We had different orders inked upon our letters, entailing our resignation and our mission. While a group ran interference with the trading and selling, we would go beneath the settlement and steal the device from inside. Prince had told me the hours he had pondered over the maps, even before he knew his role. "What Raven, asks I do," he said slyly the time I questioned. "You get used to not knowing the big picture after a while." There was a fatal flaw in Prince's statement. I already knew I wasn't in the big picture.

A doorway was opened and we entered a large room. It was on the left side of the ship, indicating there was an airlock depressurization room before the outer bulkheads could be opened. In this room resided our weapons. My faithful assault rifle was in a box with the Viper uniform. My hands touched the cloth again, this time it felt like I was gaining a part of me back, some parasite I now accepted as its host.

Our weapons: primed. Our bodies: able. We waited in order, lines of sweat beading down my face. I saw the goal, I knew the prize. Tonight I would be on Rannoch, yet I would never touch it with my hand. The sound of a door opening behind us alerted me to another in the room. The hard yet calm crack of heel on metal signalled who now was with us. I dared not turn around and break the formation to assert my guess, I simply followed orders. Soon I would make my break and alert the authorities if... if I found the chance.

I had planned this all last night. It was simple: I joined them in the mission, and then (when things got quiet) I would sneak away to alert the quarians. Some sort of alarm or signal was part of my plan, though I realized I might even have to shoot a few rounds in the air if I could find neither. The thought of being caught, it scared me to the core. While I stood there, black and purple tight against my skin, I promised myself I was not one of them. I was here to bring them to justice, justice against the crimes they had committed. This was for...

"Justice is a diametric term." The sound of Raven's voice broke through the fog of thought. It was that voice... so unique and smooth that drew me from the bleak grey wisps. How could it come from such a dark figure? "Now we stand at its precipice. Like an opaque fog, we sit still and watch. Ominous and loathsome, blinding people from the light. That is the unjust in the world; the ones that cloud the sky. In essence the Council is right, in actuality they are not." Footsteps continued until I got a glimpse of the black haired human in front of the pack. I was in the fourth row of five, each row having five people. I had been told this operation was to be small and incognito. I wished it was anything but that. Oh, how right I was. "I ask us together to stand strong. Each of you are here for a purpose, I do not deny that. And if... or when you think about betraying us, let me extend the price of that choice." Raven took his hand from behind his back and revealed a single white rose. It laid there, bare in his palm. On the crisp white petals were streaks of red. Closer inspection detailed long rivers of blood across him open hand. His blood dripped to the floor and ran along the white rose. At last he dropped the flower and pool of blood from his hand. They fell and collided together on the groundr. Such perfection, wasted.

He left us with that, Geisha running to his side and quietly scolding him. We stayed silent through it all. The perfect woman ranting about his health and the darkened male saying absolutely nothing. In that gloom and eerie silence no one dared think, for we were too scared that even that might be heard by the sharp ears of the birds.

After a while Raven touched his ear and nodded his head. There was a motion for the doors to be opened, then sunlight creasing our vision. The first thing I smelled was lilac. It was a strange, pleasant smell. It washed itself over me as I stood there. Then a beat and a march drew us behind the ship. We were to go down a small mechanic tunnel on the landing platform. The quarians did not expect our ship to have another opening hatch; they did not anticipate their tunnels to be breached either. And so, one by one we descended down the dark ladder. Ending our climb was the murky wetness below. I took one last glimpse at Rannoch's surface. Crimson and orange for miles and... emerald... pearl... lilac in the fields beyond. A planet devastated by war now teeming with life and beauty. They say that a quarian will travel miles on their pilgrimage only to stand atop a mountain and fall hundreds of feet below. Some are caught by the ground, others are caught by the wildlife, but the true are caught by the wind and the sun: drifting high above and disappearing into the aether. They are the ones who complete their pilgrimage and, as such, never return to the life they once knew.

It was damp and cold below. The sun did not reach the crevices beneath the dirt. Here there were only the ghosts of the dead. We trekked in a line and hugged our weapons for warmth once the last person had gone through. A few feet in and claustrophobia hit some members. They did not scream or shout with fright, though their gait betrayed all. I was not one of these people, I was a soldier and fear did not exist.

The passage widened and led us into a large tunnel system. After a few twists and turns, we broke through a section of the wall and climbed out into a brightly lit hall. It took a while, but we got through. Geisha counted up the team as Raven stood beside Prince, who was at a terminal of some kind. They broke from it after a while and my curiosity was a blaze. Prince held a large holographic map; it was built into his omni tool and was telling Raven directions and locations. I heard words such as "surveillance" "probability" and "guards". Raven nodded at each passing statement, digesting and turning the sounds in his head. At last he barked at Prince to stop and again started the march in the direction the quarian had indicated.

During the walked I found Prince. "What were you talking about?"

The quarian smiled. "I'm dealing with security systems. Raven gave me the codes and fixtures for their power. I can reroute systems, remove them from the grid

without anyone noticing, then extrapolate heat sensitive..." The quarian could see he was losing me so he simply stated, "I can make us disappear." That I understood.

We walked for a bit before another question hit me. I slowed down and Prince matched my pace. Then, when we were sufficiently far enough back, I asked him in a whisper, "What would prevent someone from running off? I assume that would be a priority for Raven." Prince laughed.

"Oh no one can run off, we have tracers on all the uniforms. No one is getting out of our sights anytime soon." I froze. Shit, I could not escape far enough to alert the quarians and if I could not do that... My throat became parched, I could not breath. My options of escape decreased by the second. I had to remain a Viper.

Prince asked if we could catch up and we did. I pushed ahead from the rear to reside somewhere in the far back. Yeswayla was near me, her uniform perfectly tailored to her body. They all were and the uncanny nature of Raven's control continued further. She saw my wandering eyes and smiled, "You see something you like, Shade?" A few people turned to me and I threw my eyes quickly away. I did not want any rumours starting: that would just be another mess I did not need to be in. Soft laughter followed my embarrassment however and I could only shake my head in response. _Damn Yeswayla and her sense of humor._

Deeper into the tunnels we went, periodically we stopped for Raven to check our location with Prince; the answer was always the same. "Getting closer, still in the first section." Raven would grunt in response and continue onward, his head held level. The fifth stop, Raven asked for our location again. Prince replied that it was at the next split in the tunnels where we would turn left and meet a terminal. Beyond that terminal we would enter the next section, beyond that we would be below the research facility. A nod from Raven and our march continued. He did not grunt this time which could have been said to be a blessing or a curse. Either way I saw it as negative.

Pitter patter alerted a few of us to some rats scurrying across the floor around us. A squeak pierced the air and I turned to its source. It was Yeswayla, her arms wrapped tightly around her body, her gaze unfaltering towards the grey rodents below. I smiled, "Hey Neko!" She turned. "Rat got your tongue?"

She smirked. "More then you'll ever know." Her gaze returned to the rats and, when Geisha came over and asked if she was ready to go, her response was a resounding "yes". The group marched on, not caring about the rats that ran beneath their feet. Only the observant Yeswayla heard every step they made and she was the only one to grasp her gun tightly by her side.

The pace accelerated. We started to jog. Prince's hacking for the security would not last much longer and we had to reach the next section before the systems went back online. We reached the door and a panel popped up. Prince made his way to the front of the group while a firing squad held the back. I was caught in the middle; the quarian's fingers dancing on the holographic sheet, the gunners with their fingers twitching at their triggers. I did not know how much time we had left but I knew it wasn't much. Raven was above the male quarian, softly telling him to hurry up. Prince yelled back, "I'm trying my best!" There was a pause after his cry that Raven acknowledged.

Then, with a hand to Prince's shoulder, he spoke: "Your best isn't good enough anymore. We aren't the flotilla, we aren't the Council, we are the galaxy's hope." That sped up the fingers of the quarian. A few more moments passed until a soft chime sounded and the doors opened. We filed in, the firing squad retreating to enter last. Then Prince quickly tapped a pad on the other side of the door to shut it tightly. We stood in that hall with breaths caught. One down, two more to g-

An alarm sounded. No one moved. Then, all of a sudden, ammo was being clipped into guns and the whole team shifted into action. We drew our weapons and started to file down the hall, all the while Raven was growling: "What the hell is going on here Prince?"

"I... I..."

Raven's temper was slowly rising. "Tell me some damn facts here."

There was the sound of an omni tool in use. "We did not breach the security system," said Prince as we started to jog down the hall. "They do not know we are here at all, that's for sure. But... someone's tipped off the quarians. I need to run scans of the outside facility."

"Hurry up." The bluntness of Raven's tone was shocking and frightening as Prince started to mash buttons on his wrist. Raven screamed for us to halt and Zealot, who was leading the charged, followed the command. We stood there together, breathing heavily, guns clenched in our hands. I was beside Yeswayla who did not display the same worry. _Curious_, I thought.

Then, in that nervous gloom, a sound. "Shit." Raven turned to Prince who spoke the monosyllabic word.

"What?" He replied forcefully.

"You won't like this... this... this isn't good—"

"Tell me then!" Yelled Raven through clenched teeth. Though I could not see his expression, I could hear his jaw tightly clamping closed.

"The Normandy is here." There was a gloom that entered the halls. "The pilot sent me a message. They are on the opposite side of the landing pads and do not know where our ship is, that's good, but they do know that we are down in the basement level." Raven started to pace and rub his scalp. "No word from the distraction team, I guess that's good news then—"

"Good news?" Repeated Zealot mockingly. "Ya, this is really good news Prince. For fuck's sake!"

Raven ignored her. "Can they find us?"

Prince did what he did best: pushed buttons. "No, no they can't. If we continue as planned we should be fine... the only problem is that they will be trying to track us down." Raven swore forcefully and began his pace again. Everyone started to chatter to one another. I heard their words; full of fear and agitation. No one felt safe here. I turned to Yeswayla, her expression was the same.

"I can bypass the security systems now and use them to our advantage," spoke Prince quickly, rapidly dejecting digits from his omni tool. "However, if they can get past my hack they will know exactly where we are."

Raven's breathing was heavy. Yeswayla's mouth was moving. "Do it. We don't need the time, we need the space." Prince nodded and continued his work. The voices of the members started again when Geisha started to comfort Raven.

"Well what the fuck do we do now?" Asked Thionan nervously. Yeswayla was checking her omni tool.

"The logical conclusion..." Biasheta broke off her comment and started to slur words in her native tongue.

Raven spoke next. "We know that the Normandy could not have found out our whereabouts without a spy. So the logical conclusion is to—" Yeswayla's words became clearer now and the awful truth dawned on me.

"Yeswayla?" I asked softly.

A gun flashed and pointed at her head, it was Siphon's. Words started to come into focus as guns were pointed at the female human. I heard the final words of a sentence, "last transmissions in or out of our base." It dawned on me: Yeswayla was not who she said she was.

"Who are you?" Spat Siphon. She did not respond. "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to betray us?" I could hear Biasheta babbling in her dialect. I could feel the biotic potential pulsating behind me. "Answer me!" Screamed the drell. Her face lifted and a smile was drawn across her face. Siphon pulled Yeswayla's shawl back and her full face was shown to the entire group.

"Now Raven, this is really not the way to treat your guests." Her smile grew as her form shimmered slightly, her facial features changed and her nose became less pointed, more round. At last the transformation was complete and I did not know who she was anymore. But Raven did.

"My god," he said in hushed tones. "Kasumi Goto, the master thief..."

"In the flesh," she replied, seeming quite pleased with herself. "Though I must admit it is the flesh I was not used to."

"A facial destabilize recognizer." Raven shook his head and laughed. "I thought the technology was in testing."

"Behold the test subject," she said with wide arms and a bow.

"More like a lab rat," someone muttered to which her gaze flashed towards him.

"I'd be careful if I were you, soldier. I've got more than just good looks up my sleeves-"

Raven interrupted before she could continue. "You're working for the Council then?"

She smiled. "No, not really. I work for an old friend, nothing more." Her gaze looked to each and every one of us. "It seems like friends are in short order here, aren't they?" Her arms started to lower and a few weapons were primed at that. This amused her. "Touchy, touchy, touchy aren't we Raven?"

A growl came from his lips. "So you are the one who tipped off the Normandy."

"Now you're getting at it sweetheart." A gun was added to the mix: it was Geisha's. "Oh my, now you're getting a female to fight for you? Honestly I like your spirit but I wouldn't—"

"Shut up," barked Geisha. Now my gun was up.

The tense atmosphere remained as Prince continued reconfiguring systems. "It looks like we are at an impasse, Miss Goto," Raven spoke smoothly, accenting every syllable that passed through his lips.

"It seems we are, Mr. Raven." A flash of Raven's eye stared deep into the young woman, yet she held firm. The same was so for her smile. "Really, I should applaud you for finally figuring it out. Your security as well," she kissed her fingers, "marvellous, simply brilliant. I've cracked into billionaires who had less fail safes than you did. I'm lucky I got the few transmissions that I did out."

It dawned on me and I spoke aloud. "So you tipped them off about the red sand deal?"

She looked to me, amused. "Yes Marcus, you are correct." The name hit me hard. _Marcus?_ "Sadly I did not have enough information so I decided to join your gang. I'm a... triple agent I guess. I stayed with the Infinity Unit to track the Vipers and give them information on the Normandy. When that was not enough, I pretended to be on the Viper's side and join your operations. Though I must admit most of my information is outdated, which would explain why the Normandy can't find you or your ship." A few members started to scratch their heads and she winked at them. "Don't try and think too hard on it all. Honestly, most of the plans were just me thinking on the spot—"

"That's enough!" Interrupted Finnegan as he inched his barrel closer to her head. "What we want now is information. Tell us everything the Normandy knows."

Her brow rose. "Hello Mr. Asari-Raper." He smashed his gun into her face and she careened over from the attack. Raven spoke out against it, but only just. Kasumi slowly got back up. She wiped the blood from her lip. "Loose gun, aren't we? You should tie up your dogs, Mr. Raven; they have a tendency to bite back."

"I want to know what you know Kasumi. The time for games is over." Silence fell back into its natural place as everyone held guns to the sly thief.

She looked around for a moment, and then sighed. "I guess it is, isn't it? Just one more question before you kill me. Do you know why I'm the best thief in the galaxy?" No one answered, no one wanted to give her the satisfaction of a reply. Yet she enjoyed the silence all the more. "It's because I'm just so damn good at hiding in plain sight." She gave one final wink to me before she turned directly to Raven, her gaze matching his. "Catch me if you can." With that her form dematerialized and guns started to blaze. Raven's voice boomed above the gunfire as the rattling of weapons stopped. In place of the master thief were steaming bullet holes; no female body in sight.

"Dammit! Prince, can you get that trace on her? Tell me where she's gone!" Commanded Raven to the hunched over quarian.

"I'm getting... I'm getting..." He smashed his hand on the ground. "Damn! I'm getting hacked back!"

Finnegan yelled, "Do something!" He smacked Prince across his head.

The quarian yelled back, "I'm trying! If I do something wrong then I could reveal ourselves to the whole damn base! You want me to do that?" Finnegan snarled but did not fight back. "Thought as much." Prince returned to his pad, pressing frantically and swearing. "Keela'selai! Whoever is helping the Normandy is good!"

"Enough with the praising, Prince. Can you find Kasumi?" Snarled Raven.

After a few agonizing moments, Prince's omni tool went dead. "Dammit! No, I couldn't track her. At least we haven't been found out yet. I suggest we hurry..." his voice trialled off as he looked to the form of Raven. The human's hands were clenched and he was shaking. "What now?"

Raven looked to the passage beyond and gave his orders. "We continue on, double time now. We will reach the facility and get the object we desire. My friends, we are on a time limit now – every second that we waste allows the Normandy to get closer." He turned to Geisha, whose face was full of worry, and smiled. "Let's show them what a good old fashioned game of cat and mouse looks like!" We cheered and started forward in a group, pushing down the halls towards our goal.

Yeswayla, now simply named Kasumi Goto, had betrayed us. The thorns of treason inched its way through my heart. It seemed heartless, bizarre of her to do such a thing. Justice seemed so far away then, so intangible and impossible to touch. Raven, even Prince, had spoken of justice. I stood at its precipice, fearful of the fall. Was I so afraid of entering a death march, the stand that the seniors boasted about in the Alliance barracks?

But these worries drifted into a light fog as I rushed forward. I felt my pulse racing, my head swirling, and my mind flying high into the sky. At last we were fighting the Normandy head on. It was our first encounter and everyone was eager to please, including me. My thoughts of betrayal left quickly as our pace increased. I could not help but feel exhilarated and excited as we raced down those halls in unison. It was just like the military back in the Alliance.

The great game was on.


	14. Inside Story

**Chapter 14: Inside Story**

"Tell me that you have a spec on her." No reply. "Tell me she's safe, Liara." The human specter whirled around and swore. "Dammit Liara, tell me something!"

The asari manoeuvred her fingers across her omni tool. Each movement had purpose, a designated target to which her joints would fly to. She grimaced, started to bite her lip, and then retracted her fingers from her arm. The omni tool faded out and the specter waited for a report. "Kasumi is safe, I can guarantee that."

The human specter sighed contently. "Thank god, now that mess is over with we can begin—"

"Ashley, there are a few problems though." The specter, almost with her back to the asari, grimaced. She asked on Liara's comment. "We can't track her when she's hiding about. I got a small signal from her but it was faint. The Vipers have broken the access codes in the quarian systems. How they got in, I'll never know. But the main problem is that our equipment utilizes the quarian computers to track heat signatures—"

"What's your point?" Interjected the commanding human bluntly.

Liara seemed taken aback but nevertheless continued unabated. "What I mean is that we cannot find Kasumi in the base. She will contact us on her whereabouts through the com but it will not last more than a few seconds. The Vipers have us in their grasp. Even with all my planning I have no idea where they could be or how to track them."

"Did you try a bypass?" Questioned Zaeed through his teeth. He was about as pleased with this as Ashley was.

Liara nodded. "I did, but the Viper tech expert rerouted the systems and sent a feedback loop on me. He... she... it is good, very good. I would hazard a guess to say this person has used quarian systems before."

"Ok," spoke Ashley after a small silence had passed. She looked around to the core group of officials. Joker, Doctor Chakwas, Kennith and Gabby were all still on the Normandy. It was a nice reassurance that they were there just in case things got crazy – and crazy they had gotten. In the short time of arrival the Vipers had detected their presence and gone into lock down. She swore internally, knowing full well that telling the quarians what was going on was a mistake. However she knew that the time for thought was over and action was their only solution. "So we know that their tech expert is probably a quarian, correct?"

"That is logical," affirmed the asari.

"We can also assume that Kasumi's data is good and that they are trying to reach the center research facility which can be accessed in section three of this basement." Ashley rubbed her temples and started to pace. Garrus was in the back, prepping Grunt, Samara, and others on weapon protocol and squad order. Both he and Ashley had dictated their roles quite severely; even though he wanted to speak he knew that stepping on Ashley's toes was not a smart thing to do. _But damn do I ever want to help_, he thought bitterly. "Liara, can you run the fastest routes to section three from the last location Kasumi sent her message? We are assuming that she is following them, right?"

"Right." Liara brought up her omni tool again and started to work logistics, meanwhile Ashley turned to the turian commander who was prepping the team. _Looks like I'm getting more action then I thought, _sighed the turian internally.

"Now Garrus, looks like we need to come up with some way of intercepting them." The turian's mandibles flickered in discontent. "I say we use Liara's data and check the possible routes they could take. We could split up—"

"If we find them then a firefight would ensue," reasoned Garrus. He put his hands to his mandibles, rubbing them methodically to ease their tension. "No, I suggest we find a bottle neck, somewhere the Vipers will have to go through. There we will wait and ambush them."

"Do the quarians have such a thing?" Questioned the specter as she started to pace. To that the turian did not know the answer.

"Such a thing would be a weakness," grinned Grunt as he tossed his weapon from side to side. "No krogan would ever let himself be cornered. No, I think these quarians are at least as smart as us. Heh, we would have to put up barriers to—"

At once both Garrus and Ashley raised their heads and shouted, "Of course!" They both turned to Liara who had finished her calculations and was ready to speak.

"Well," started the asari slowly, gazing deeply into her diagrams, "it seems that there are at least six or seven routes they could take. There are about two that intersect and are the quickest, but I'm not sure—"

"Can you ask –" Started Garrus and Ashley together again.

It was only after the human commander glared at the turian that the sentence continued with Ashley's voice. "Can you remember if the quarians have any access to their emergency door systems?" Liara thought for a moment.

"I suppose they do, but with the Vipers hacking—"

"Doesn't matter, you can run interference from here." Before the next statement Ashley began to grin. "If I know their commander as well as I think I do, right now he's in a panic; he wants to get out of this mouse trap as soon as possible. Therefore if we close a few bulkheads he will try to go around them – and if that doesn't work, then go through them head on. Those bulkheads are heavily encrypted, right?" The asari nodded. "So I'm guess it would take them a while to go through?" Another nod from Liara. "Perfect. Set up a bottleneck a few corridors down from one of the section three entrances. If we can make them go through this maze without them being suspicious, then we have basically lead them into our hands." She turned to the turian once more, who now had his hands behind his back. "Do you have any comments on this plan Garrus?"

The turian shook his head. "No, sounds good to me. My only concern is the timing and the overall assumptions. We have to make this pretty damn tight to catch them."

Ashley's large grin widened as she turned down a dark hallway. "Well, we should get moving then, shouldn't we?" Garrus smiled in response and commanded the troop to move forward, guns at the ready. The tactical order of the group was to have Liara, Ashley, and himself in the middle of Grunt, Zaeed, and their troops taking the front. Samara and a few Council trained biotics took up the rear, ready to send their massing energies toward any target. Garrus could feel the power emanating from behind himself and made sure to take a few steps away from them in case any action were to come about.

Everything was so planned and organized, everything detailed and described. Garrus smiled to himself as he remembered the countless hours hunched over his monitor. The commander had given his specific orders and instructions: no one was to know their arrival. Possible locations for the next attack were scouted and compiled by the best minds in the Citadel, possible battle plans and formations were created by Zaeed with the help of his Blue Suns. Credits upon credits worked into a finely knit plan. The spy sent inside the base, completely unknown to anyone but Ashley, Garrus, and the Council, the weapons delivered and supplied, formations drilled into everyone's heads. Even Kirrahe played his part; leading a group on the main floor of the facility to watch for any suspicious activity. It was so perfect and yet holes had been torn into the fabric. _Though improvisation is always our greatest asset_, thought Garrus as he ran along the tight grey tunnels of the quarian underground. _At least we won't get caught with our pants down._ The image made him chuckle. Humans and their phrases never ceased to amuse him.

The harsh click of heels paved their way as they sped down the halls. Liara was barking directions and possible routes that could be blocked off. Ashley listened intently to all these things, referencing the Normandy and the quarian command about some of the best options. Garrus could not help but be impressed. Though he had been with her on many a mission (taking down drug lords, fighting rogue syndicates, etc.) he had never seen her so focused and worried about every single detail. Her actions displayed relaxed movements, each action giving way to a specific purpose. Although the purpose may have been unintentional at times, at least she was open with the group – and to that Garrus applauded her._ I guess it's like how they used to say on earth: keep your eye on the prize._ He chuckled. _Damn human sayings crack me up every time; I should get a book of them. _

They came to an intersection. Three paths lay out before them and Ashley asked Liara which direction to take. The asari stayed mute for a moment before raising her head and pressing her lips into a line. "Take the left... no, right... no, go straight," she turned off her omni tool and produced a small hand-held monitor which she lit up and started scanning through. At last she reached what she wanted to find and looked up. "Definitely go right."

Ashley turned her glance to Liara. There was deep hate in the specter's eyes but she hid it well. "Are you sure Liara?" Her tone was commanding but not harsh; she had played the political game many times before and could easily let people know they were hated without alerting others to it. "If this mission is blown because of one wrong turn—"

"I am right about this Ashley," Liara spat back under her breath. Garrus could see the tension rising between the two females. Both their eyes glared their riveting hate for one another. They had fought together, seen the eye of death and yet still found time to hate each other. _If I could have a credit for every time those two were at each others throats since the beginning of this mission I could retire in style_, thought Garrus. Though his thoughts were of comedic origin there was a deep underlying sadness to them. _I brought them all together so they could, what, fight? _Garrus shook his head grimly as Ashley repeated her barked order. _I really do hate choosing sides._

"Ashley..." started Garrus, receiving her fiery gaze in response. Garrus just cleared his throat before continuing, accenting his position as her second in command. "Though I agree with you, Ashley, that Liara does not seem to be one hundred percent certain of her answer, I will admit that we are on a tight schedule. Arguing won't solve this problem and it certainly will not help us catch the Vipers." There was a pause in all conversation as Ashley glared from the turian to the asari. Finally she grunted and nodded towards the aqua female.

"Fine," she stated bluntly, "we do it your way. Lead on Miss T'Soni." The last phrase was uttered dramatically and Garrus could hear the stifled laughter from Zaeed and some of the squad members. Grunt could only shake his head; the young tank born had grown much and adapted Wrex's feelings about species melodrama. Garrus could sympathize, fore the thorns that Ashley's gaze darted towards him ran deep. Even with his casual smile towards her, those eyes burned with aggravation. He could hear her words now: _"Don't undermine my authority Garrus, you remember who the Council picked to lead the Normandy."_ It was the countless times he had heard her say that phrase which bothered him the most.

As they sped onward along the path Liara had directed them towards, Garrus tried to catch the asari's eye, trying to see some comfort in his friends. She did not look at him at all during that time. The only time he caught a glimpse of her eyes was when her head moved to her right, seeing Garrus, then darting quickly back to her omni tool and holographic map. _I guess this is why I don't like being stuck in these disputes._ _Damn I really do hate being the middle guy._

The group stopped at one point while Liara fidgeted with her omni tool. She was apparently getting counter hacked by the Viper technician and was trying to fight a losing battle. Ashley was displeased with this, of course, however she did not outwardly fight the asari on it. She simply stayed back and talked with the other members of the team, making sure not to notice the conflicting interests that were growing in the group.

All Garrus wanted was to catch the Vipers once and for all. They had been given a golden opportunity, a chance to prove themselves. Now they stood around, waiting anxiously as the battle of numbers raged on. Some of these soldiers, guns firmly held in their hands, had anticipated action. They thought blood would spill crimson on the ground and the stories the elders in the academy told of huge Reapers and overwhelming odds would come to fruition. The turian could tell they did not expect this sitting around and waiting for orders. He saw one, a human, throwing his gun about nervously, his eyes darting around – wanting to strike like a varren in a crouch.

"Bloody annoying, eh?" Garrus turned to his left to see Zaeed polishing his gun. It was his old baby, the one that he used through the Reaper War. Garrus chuckled, his 'baby' often changed from year to year. Once it would be an old outdated model, next it would be the newest thing he bought on the market. _Soldiers and their toys_, thought Garrus with a grin. _Oh, I've got to write that phrase down as well, that's a good one. _"I mean, waiting around knowing your goddamn enemy could be running right beside you, bloody brilliant!" He spat to the floor and rubbed his heel into the saliva.

"It's kind of nice to relax though. I'd rather be sitting around or running to a new location over getting shot at." The old merc snorted a laugh as he spat onto the rag he was cleaning his gun with. His 'personal touch' was what he called it. Garrus couldn't comment though, he thought his calibrations were an art of their own.

"Well, to be honest there is such a thing as wasting time Garrus." The human seemed finished with his work and now stuffed his rag into his armour. His gun in his right hand and his left patting Garrus on the shoulder, a wide grin plastered onto his face. "Looks like the political life has gotten you a bit soft, Garrus. Out of all of us, I think you're probably the one who's in need of a good firefight." Zaeed walked off with his usual swagger, laughing and making jokes with the new recruits like it was his first mission.

"Some people need war to survive." The turian rolled his eyes and turned around now. It was Samara, leaning against a wall, observing the surrounding task force she was a part of. Garrus always found it interesting as to her explanation in joining. When Garrus had probed her with questions pertaining to her joining she had told him that she found herself still bound by her oath to Shepard. But with Shepard in stasis in Palaven knows where, she had to fulfil her duty with the Normandy. _"My code is a funny thing Garrus, it makes me kill when I don't want to and spare when I feel the need to murder. It creates tranquillity through its chaos. In the time until this oath has been fulfilled, I will await the days which I can spend with my daughter."_ Garrus remembered smiling at those words. Now they seemed so distant from the expression on her face. Her aqua cheeks were bunched together into waves; her face crunched up creating crashing waves through the rocky sea of her feelings.

The turian shrugged to her original comment. "I suppose so, but a lot are rookies Samara, you have to give them a break."

A smirk came across her face as she straightened herself; the once missing biotic swirling was birthed between her fingers. "I really wasn't talking about the rookies Garrus." With her smooth, hallucinatory tone she left the turian more baffled then before. By the end of the conflict he would understand her words more than ever before. The curse of the present minded.

Liara had seemed to block off a few entrances and fended off the wave after wave of hacking subsystems. "It is like they are turning the whole system against us!" After her outburst she looked properly embarrassed and softly nudged her head towards the direction that they would continue in. Garrus wished he could comfort her but he knew that his presence might upset Ashley further. _One thing at a time my old friend, _he thought softly_. One thing at a time, then move on._

The winding corridors of bleak wires and cords became a solid, dull light grey. According to the updates Liara spoke to the group, they would be approaching the group anytime now. The bottleneck had been put in place and everything was set up for the ambush. Here thermal clips were tugged into place and the soft hiss of cooling systems was heard from the weapons. The soft hiss of pent up stress could also be heard streaming from the mouths of the soldiers, one of these mouths being Garrus'. _Almost there_, he reassured himself as he brought a sniper from his back, _almost there and then we can finish this fight I started so long ago._ With a soft prayer he spoke, "This one's for you Shepard."

The walls turned to glass as Garrus found himself glancing out of the windows around them. Artificial light streamed through like beams down to the floor. Large conveyor belts and long strands of metal were being worked by massive machines. To what end this industrial powerhouse was fabrication, Garrus could not guess, though he syphoned a hunch that it had something to do with what the Vipers where after. The turian shook his head. He shouldn't be so focused on everything around him; he should be focused on seeing what was in front of him—

Hot, sizzling bullets rang through the air and the group fell into formation. Recoil burst in the hands of the turian as he rolled and shifted in the tightly encroached space. He could barely see what was in front of him due to the immense confusion. He spotted Zaeed taking a few soldiers to the right corridor wall as cover. They were lucky an intersection was before them. Ashley's orders rang out amongst the chaos of blasting bullets searing through the air. "Fall to the walls! All men fall to the walls!" Her repetition was for no one but herself as everyone started to move on her first command. As he ran, bullets flew into people as well as powerful biotic energy creating explosive compressions of air. Everything became hot and heavy. Nothing was clear. Through the fog of his vision he spotted a few Vipers, dressed in purple and black, shooting around the two corners they occupied. Behind them was not another corridor, instead it was a large pane of glass. _Perfect_, thought Garrus, _we have finally got them somewhat cornered._

A grenade flew through the air, thrown by a Viper who felt extremely lucky. Garrus careened over and as he rolled, kicked the circular object a few feet back. A loud shock came from the blast blinding him with dust and causing his ears to cry out in pain. His hands fell to the sides of his head as the world around him burst into the flames of chaos. Men dropped into cover at the sight of their shields broken and battered while others ran from cover to cover, getting shot to pieces and flying a few yards backwards by every bullet colliding with their armour.

His ears now less sensitive as they once were allowed him to detect individual voices. He noticed the sound of Ashley screaming into her com system and he decided to approach her to find out what her plan was. If all else failed he would take control. Too many times before he had seen people die under him due to confusion, it would not happen today.

Another grenade fell close to his weakened body and his eyes grew wide with fear. The end was just a few inches close. His eyes pressed shut, anticipating the flame that would ravage his body, the blast never came. Slowly his eyes opened and he saw Kasumi de-cloak in front of him, shooting Vipers with precision. Her head zipped to him as she yelled for him to continue. A few bullets leapt at her feet and she jumped and rolled to the right corridor for safety. Her cloak initiated as her shoulder hit the ground and bullets razed the spot she had once been. _Now's my chance to get to Ashley,_ Garrus thought as he pushed himself around from his position on his stomach.

Ashley was on the left corridor and he rolled on the ground towards the cover. Once beside the shouting human he asked her what she was thinking. "Damned if I knew," she shouted as another spray of bullets pierced a few shields of soldiers. The crackling of biotic powers pulsated around them making Garrus feel heavy and wheezy. "I think we will split up down each hall and try to corner them, if we can pull that off we've got them."

"I agree," nodded Garrus as a scream punctuated the end of his statement. A few men flew backwards from the opening of the hall by a powerful biotic blast. Their heads collided with the ground and their forms collapsed. Ashley screamed and so did Liara as a rain of bullets shot through their armour, spraying the air behind them in a mist of crimson. It was a light spray that erupted from their backs and heads. The ones who tried to get up were promptly shot through the end, their craniums exploding as their brains flew across the hall painting the whole scene as a transcending dance of gore.

Garrus' com was ringing and he answered it. Zaeed was on the other end. "Damn sons of bitches," he screeched. Garrus could see him at the other wall across the hall. "I can't get through. I've got Grunt here and even he can't seem to get through the middle."

A loud krogan voice bombastically spoke, "I would be able to, if our leader would issue the command!"

"Shut up you big lug!" Countered Zaeed over the com. "Do you want to get killed, 'cause that's what would happen if you tried to rush them?"

To that the krogan snorted loudly and sneered, "Fine, have it your way. But I still will kill more than you." Shots rang out in the com and around the turian. If the situation was not so dire he would have laughed at the banter, now all he cared about was results and his friends' safety.

Zaeed's voice came through again after a short moment of him on the opposing wall shooting down a few stray Viper soldiers. "I can go around but I'm worried that we don't have enough men. That damn biotic bitch is tearing us apart." Garrus saw from across the way another foolish soldier stuck his head out against Zaeed's orders. The young soldier's neck was snapped back horrifically by a blast of a biotic push. His legs went flying above his head as his head caved into the floor and smashed into a spray of organelles. "What do we do?"

Garrus' mandibles were mad. Twitching and sporadic were his movements. What the hell were they going to do? Then, in his fit of thinking, Samara flew out of cover and started to throw singularities. Liara jumped out as well and threw up a biotic shield, all blasts reflected off the shield or where smashed on impact. A wide grin rose on the turian's face, he looked to Ashley who shared the same smile. "We go now; we will split the ground up, agreed?" She agreed and Garrus relayed the commands to Zaeed, naming him the leader of the second group. As he collected his group and started down the left hall, he could only think of Ashley's smile. _Maybe she and Liara are finally getting along. _But the earth shattering collision of two biotic warps sent Garrus downwards. He could only hope that Liara and Samara were ready to face the Vipers' powerful biotic.

* * *

Liara was sweating. Panting and ravenous like an animal she threw her energy into a force field. It was not going to hold but at least it gave Samara a chance to rest. The Vipers had split up and now all that remained was the one asari before them standing in front of the glass. Her body twitched and crackled with the biotic prowess. _I only hope we are faster than her, _she thought as she could not contain the barrier any longer and the shield went down. So did Liara's body as she threw herself to the ground. The built up shocks of biotic warps smashed against their targets and Liara saw Samara flung backwards a few feet while the other asari biotic smashed against the glass, shattering some of it. _Now's my chance_, she thought as she threw herself from the ground and started a head long run towards the Viper biotic.

A warp seethed in her hands as the biotic before her started her own biotic throw. Their release was at the same time with the Viper before her staggered by her warp and the throw catching Liara's footing and throwing her into the wall to her left. There was a snap of her back as Liara cried out in pain. A soft biotic shield was created to limit the impact of her fall as she rolled off the shield and onto the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Samara's battle cry sounded as Liara saw powerful balls of energy tossed overhead. Liara rolled to the left and a crack of the ground breaking where she once was indicated she had made a smart move. She was now on her stomach and from there she pushed herself using her powers to her feet. Once there she threw a ball of energy, colliding with the asari's left foot, but at the same time causing the asari to twist her own biotic throw and send it spiralling out of control square in Liara's chest. All the wind was knocked from her stomach as she was sent head over heels backwards. A sharp ring entered her ears once she the ground hard. Liara cried out again as she threw a singularity out beneath the fallen Vipers' back. The Viper asari was lifted as she twisted and turned in the air, managing to hit Samara with a warp as she was trying desperately to get to her feet.

Liara rose to her feet and threw a few biotic stasis, all of which missed as she dived into the right corridor for cover. Her insides felt like exploding from her chest, her heart ready to burst and bursting with the pressure. The pressure built up until she could handle it no longer and threw up all over her uniform. She did not care; for as she turned her head to her right Samara was being tossed around like a rag doll. _Damn Viper_, Liara thought horridly. _Why is she this powerful? _The riveting air that was drenched with sweat and hormones was too much for Liara's battered body as her stomach unhinged its substances again.

Everything was drenched with moisture, even though most of the powers being used were of the Telekinetic variety. The taste in her mouth was vile. Blood, sweat, vomit all mixed together to form a concoction that was made from the blood of the damned. Liara pulled herself along the wall and threw herself into the mix. She did not know if the liquid rushing down her head was blood, sweat, tears, vomit or even her brain smashing against her skull, screaming for her to stop straining her body. But in the midst of the chaos and broken walls she found her true energy. A shield was erected around her by Samara as Liara strained to pull off a large metal section of the wall and fling it towards the Viper biotic. The opposing asari caught it with her powers, albeit with difficulty, then threw it back at them. It ricocheted against the barrier and flew into the opposing wall helplessly. However the strain was too much for Samara as she collapsed on the ground. Liara threw a small sphere of energy that collided with the opposing biotic's left right arm creating a horrific snap of bone. The Viper biotic cried and screamed as she used her powers to snap her dislocated joint back into place. The Viper had long streams of tears running down her cheeks, each tear cascading down her battered and bloodied body, turning everything a deep purple. Liara could not believe her eyes as the hands and the once broken arm danced, creating a ball of energy that was flung towards her and threw her to the wall. Liara collapsed onto the floor.

The Viper biotic saw this as her chance and, with dark blue blood drenching her face, lifted Samara up and started to choke her with blue clouds swirling around Samara's neck.

A scream from Liara. A glance from Samara. A grin from the Viper biotic. A sharp snap. Samara lowered to the ground. Death before the young Normandy asari. "You fucking bitch! You fucking horrific bitch! Go to hell!" With two quick impulses Liara flung herself up to her feet and shot a blast of biotic power straight to the Viper's face sending her smashing against the glass. Liara's hands shook and quaked under the strain that she was placing onto her nervous system. All around the room debris and other metal objects were lifted and the weakened Viper biotic could only stare at the might of the angered Liara. Veins popped out of her neck as she cried and screamed, blood breaking out on her face from the strain. Her pores bursting with blood and her tears becoming stained deep blue. All this energy, all this emotion was bottled together and in a great concentrated blast, was sent towards the Viper biotic, pinning her against the glass as it cracked under the pressure.

The Viper biotic spat out words Liara could barely understand. But she heard a phrase that stung her heart. "_Finish the deed you pure blood coward." _Rage enveloped Liara's vision as she saw he mother and father together. Her teeth clenched together with the hatred as she realized that this asari knew her lineage. With one final push Liara shattered the entire pane of glass, sending the Viper biotic falling onto the industrial area below. Liara did not care if she survived; all that mattered was the weakness in her legs and arms; everywhere ached and burned with the pain. Vomit spewed from her lips as she fell to the floor in a heap of limbs.

With a slow crawl she dragged herself over to Samara who was barely breathing and could not move. Liara took the asari in her arms and cradled her, hushing her to sleep. Samara could barley breath let alone talk, but words started to form on her lips. "L...Lia...ra..." It was faint, disjointed and broken. Liara's tears came like rivers. "F...f...fin...d my da...ught...ers... tell them... I... I... I..." Samara was trying to finish her last dying wish and Liara could only imagine the immense pain she was going through to utter those thoughts.

"Tell them you love them," finished Liara with a sad smile. Samara nodded softly and with one last breath, took in the world around her and fell asleep. Liara, the broken asari, could not handle anymore and pressed her face deeply into Samara's armour. The tears would not let up as she balled into her friend's clothing. Everything was dark and grim, sweat and energy still coursing through the room. All this heat and rain.

* * *

Garrus was furious, the Viper's had gone along the left corridor and had somehow been able to pass through one of the barrier doors. They had reached the last door of the second section and now the Normandy team was separated. Ashley was angry as well. "We were so damn close! How the hell did they get through?" Garrus couldn't answer, nor did he want to. So much blood spilled over a simple conflict, already so many lost to the omnipotent darkness. It pained Garrus greatly as they pressed on the way they had come.

The turian captain rang in on the com through his omni tool to tell the merc a plan he concocted. He also inquired on the team's numbers. There were quite a few causalities and injured but both Grunt and Kasumi were not harmed, other than the krogan's pride. After a short ramble by Zaeed on the Vipers' strategy the line went dead. Garrus sighed and turned to his left to find a confused human specter before him. He decided this was a good time to explain himself more thoroughly. "We will meet with Zaeed's group by a doorway Liara closed off. Once we open the door it will give us a shortcut into the third section and maybe we can cut off the Vipers again."

"Maybe," was Ashley's blunt reply as she prodded down the hallway, her gun trailing behind her. There was still animosity between the two friends, it seemed that Ashley agreed with the plan yet hated that she had not thought of it herself. It pained the turian when all he wanted to do was complete the mission. Now all he had done was complicate it. As they walked a great sadness drifted over them, they had been beaten again and it was here that Garrus felt the weight of failure. _Now I know how Ashley felt that time long ago, _thought Garrus bitterly as he paced down the hall.

There was a beep on his omni tool as they walked down and he gave a soft smirk. _Probably Zaeed again asking where the damn doorway is._ But as he answered the com and listened to the familiar voice his eyes went wide with shock and new found worry. Ashley saw this and asked him on it. Garrus could barely form words. "There are two old friends here Ashley..." The human commander raised her brow in confusion. With a slow, deliberate tone he told her the names and the human specter's eyes went wide. Only in that gloom did they really feel the need to rush on. Time had meaning again as Ashley commanded the troop to pick up pace.

They kept the pace until they found Liara lying beside the corpse of Samara, whimpering like a baby. Garrus walked slowly up and his footsteps alerted his old asari friend. At the sound of approaching organisms the asari started to bring around a mass effect field, testing her biotic powers. Liara lifted herself to find only her friends in front of her and the mass effect fields instantly diminished. She could barely speak, only letting out the soft plead of: "Garrus..." The turian needed no more initiative to rush to her side and bring her into a hug. Tears and vile liquid stained his armour but he did not care, Liara's safety matter more to him.

After a while Ashley commanded them to stop. "We have to hurry," she said with a strong sense of urgency. "Some have died already, yes, but there are other lives at stake here." Liara was confused and, with her large watered eyes, begged Garrus to explain. There was a deep breath from the turian before he spoke the sentence he had uttered to Ashley.

"Tali's in this base, same with Shepard." Everything went silent and one could swear that they heard the soft wail of a broken butterfly trying to reach the sky.

* * *

**A quick note to the guest who reviewed, I like your idea a lot and know exactly where to add it in. It will not be in till a few chapters from now though as I do not want to break the pace. However, I really do think it is a good idea and I thank you for the suggestion.**


	15. A Quarian Love is Worth Ten Angry Krogan

**Chapter 15: A Quarian Love is Worth Ten Angry Krogan**

_"We met a few more times after that cup of coffee. We laughed in each other's company about the constant madness that we had grown to live in. My female friend was part of a special task force that would infiltrate and secure key figures in the gangs we fought. While our roles were on opposite ends of the spectrum, I being an observer of patrols and organizer of routines and her being involved in high risk scenarios, we felt connected. A bond was struck like a match into flame. The flame grew bright and I wished it would never go out._

_"Weeks passed since the trial and that fateful meeting I shared with my new companion. Life entered its constant drawl: take a patrol, see death and degradation, do nothing, than return to base for a write up. The icing was returning home to your apartment, or hitting the bar up and spending all your money on useless tickets. All cadets did this in the beginning; you can always tell a new recruit from a veteran by seeing his list of expenses._

_"Eventually I was tasked to join my female friend in a small raid. We were good friends at this time, but took the news as if we were breathing in air. Nothing changed, nothing ever changed, why should this be so different? The mission was simple: Go in. Get the man. Go out. No room for screw ups, no room for failure, or mistakes. Hell, we were promised a ton of credits if we pulled this off without attracting attention. Well, that idea went to shit._

_"I remember being in the corner. My gun tight against my palm, sweat running down my face in streams. Every breath I took was laborious; I had been shot in the gut. Everything hurt. Everything burned with the speed of bullets grazing the sky around us. Shields were broken and the horrific shattering of skulls accented the sirens that ran around us. Blood was common, a grotesque mixture of blue, red, violet, yellow, green. In the end they formed to make a black coloured drink – some said if you took a sip you would see the purpose of it all. I guess I had drunken from this fountain of knowledge a long time ago._

_"But the battle does not matter. Nor does it matter that we all got out alive with few injured. What mattered was her. Blazing her gun at the approaching members of the gang, their blood splattering against the back wall. Her eyes were steady and her aim true. Every action was precise yet there was great hesitation behind her eyes. The only reason she fired was out of self preservation. The light filtering through the glass, casting vibrant orange shadows around her form. The screams of men in the background and my thoughts of only one thing:_

_"Of how much I loved her and how only in this place — where death ends life – did I truly understand what those words really meant."_

* * *

Prince's fingers were moving so fast I thought they would go flying off in a spray of blood at any moment. We had reached our intended destination with the Normandy right on our tails. Guns blazed as we ran; now we were here, back to a door waiting for the inevitable. "Hurry the fuck up you quarian bitch!" Yelled Finnegan as he rested on his one knee, his arms propping up an assault rifle aiming at the open hall. Beside him was a marred group of soldiers of all species, holding their rifles tightly in their palms. Sweat was running down each one's face. We were completely exposed.

Raven was standing beside the quarian, his back to the wall and hunched over slightly. His arms were crossed in front of him and his breath was even and cool. "You try opening this door you bosh'tet!" Replied Prince in a fury of words. "I swear your brains would be fried in a matter of—"

"Finish your work. Deal with him later," stated Raven bluntly. Prince did not even try to argue. His fingers danced once more and I was amazed at his skills in hacking. Everything was so precise; if he missed one button on that holographic pad...

"Shade... Shade!" I spun around to see Zealot staring intently at me, her face lined with stress and worry. Her mandibles twitched at me irritably when my brows furrowed in confusion. "Dammit Shade pay attention! If anyone came around that corner and you weren't there to help kill him... her... it, we'd be fucked." I stared blankly at her. "Do you understand anything I'm saying?" I blinked twice, felt fear, turned toward the corridor, looked down it; saw the sweat dripping off of the faces of aliens into calm pools of reflection, then back at the female turian before me to nod. She shook her head. "Shit Chameleon, your friend is nuts." Thionan looked at me briefly, snorted softly, then returned to his post. With that I did the same.

We waited there, guns held firmly in our grasps till the reassuring cry of Prince's success rang through the hall. I took up my gun and the back row I was in did the same. We followed Raven, Prince and the group that protected them through the door with haste. The front section of our rear flank stood up and walked backwards, their guns still raised high in case of any event. Finally they passed through and the doors slid closed before them with a calm requiem. Finnegan flashed around and found Prince. His hands clenched the quarian's garment as he yanked him up above his head. "Why the fuck did that take so long?" Prince was spluttering. "What? I can't hear you suit rat. Tell me why that took so damn long. Do you understand how close we came to getting caught? Do you?"

"Finnegan cut it out." The ice cold voice of Raven slid through the pack – who was gathered around the scene – and into the human's ears. Finnegan did not respond. But Raven did. "Do I have to neuter you again, dog?" A growl came from the human's lips as he let the quarian drop heavily to the floor. He turned on his heels and walked back into the crowd, muttering profanities and curses against Raven's words. However he wouldn't dare raise a finger against his master, the leash was too tight.

Prince rubbed his neck and got back to securing our entrance while we stood about, unsure of what to do. We had reached section three of the facility. No longer were the walls grey and bleak, now they were white and pristine. The dirt and grime of the lower sections had no effect here. Large panes of glass were seen everywhere and in those panes could be seen thousands of mechanical objects twisting and twirling about. It was chaotic symmetry, everything dancing to a mechanical heart beat that was as alien as the mechanized prison our galaxy was trapped in.

"What now, Raven?" Asked Zealot roughly. Prince had finished his calculations and was moving towards the group, his omni tool display reflecting its bright lights onto his mask. Even on their home planet, quarians could not escape their suits. I felt somewhat sorry for them.

The black masked leader strutted around the room, his feet lightly taping on the metallic surface below him creating a synthetic beat. At last he reached a wide sheet of glass and looked down. In a flash he turned around and lightly chuckled. "We find the device and get out of here. Its close... very close. I know how quarians hide their secrets, they are so simple sometimes. I guess it's not their fault, a ship has different hiding places than a scientific facility." He turned to Prince. "Can you find any of the electromagnetic signatures it emits?"

Prince looked up and sighed. "Ya, I have a lock on it. The only problem is that I'm running about sixteen... wait, no seventeen different hacking systems to try and prevent the quarians from finding us. I swear by the end of this I better be given a good month to get new encryption codes."

A chuckle from Raven. "Oh, you'll have lots of time after this my friend. Now, if you will lead us on...?" Prince grunted and turned his glance to Finnegan. The human returned the sour gaze and spat to the ground. With that the quarian forged ahead leading our troop forward to the device none of us knew anything about. I should rephrase that: none of us knew anything about except for one. And he would never tell us until he saw it fit for his plans. What were his plans anyway? What were mine? The thought hit me hard, was it not my idea to try and retreat, to run away and tell the quarians about the Vipers' plans? Were we even the Vipers' anymore? Or were we just Raven's men, his agents for his ideals. What stopped me from returning home to my family?

It was the very ideals that Raven employed. He was different. I agreed with what he said. His ideas, his concepts, were not as alien as the people around me. The very thoughts that he implanted, created, and birthed in me were of free consciousness. He gave me the chance to see things differently, to freely choose between good and evil. There was no grey to Raven and I guess that's what was refreshing. The propaganda machine was not in production here, I did not feel like it was my duty to abide to societies standards. In the end I guess Raven was right about one thing: the Reaper War ensnared us in fear and promised to never let go. Maybe it was the excitement of the chase – going against the law. Or maybe, just maybe, Raven had something to him.

We wandered the halls for a long time, keeping a keen awareness of our surroundings. The Normandy crew had not broken through into the third facility; at least, that was what Prince had told us. The last time we had trusted him we ran straight into an ambush, so we were not as apt to believe his scans this time. Our eyes darted to every darkened corner, fear rising in our throats. We were off by a few rooms but we would soon have our prize.

A door opened in front of us after a moment once Prince had finished his hacking. But as it opened it jammed, sparks flying out as the door shifted in and out by about a few inches. This seemed to jar the quarian as he jumped a few feet back at the sight of the malfunctioning door. He quickly threw himself upon the panel, desperately trying to widen the door. It was to no avail. Raven, knowing the futility of the situation, signaled two pairs of people to take each side of the door. These people volunteered themselves gladly and needed no instruction on their duty. One by one they would jump through the door and, once all were present on the other side, would hold the doors aloft so the rest of the party could go through. The flank was still holding their guns and sweating buckets, despite the stalling advancement behind them.

As we trotted through, the straining members gritting their teeth, I could hear Prince's pleads. "I did not expect that to happen. Must have been a bad code that caused a subroutine to either self destruction, or possibly one of my lines of code could have unintentionally closed down a safety system—" Prince could not finish his blabbering before Raven's cool voice froze the quarian in his tracks.

"Expect? You do not 'expect' anything on a mission such as this. Already we have been too long in this god forsaken base." Raven was clenching his fists, clearly holding in the rage that was bellowing within. "If my men die because of a mistake or a 'miscalculation' you did not expect then I will—"

"I did not intend to have a Citadel group running on my heels! If I had considered prior to the mission... but even then the quarian officials are counteracting every single—"

"For heaven's sake shut up!" That brought the quarian to a halt. His mouth was firmly closed in a straight line, and though the mask hid most of his features, his disappointment showed through. "I will not lose people today. Already we may have lost a few key members because of arrogance and unconventional error—"

"Remember that the spy was not Prince's fault." All eyes turned to Siphon, who had walked through the door last, his pistol tightly held in his hand. "You should not blame others for your own mistakes my god, I was taught otherwise at the temple." Raven sighed heavily but did not refute the comment.

The black masked human looked deeply at the quarian through the mask and into his eyes. "Do you have any new information on Biasheta?" The name sent shivers down everyone's spines, especially mine. We had all heard Prince's shout when her vital signature fell off his readings. Raven, alerted by the outburst, had quickly come to the quarians side only to find one of his most crucial operatives had vanished, possibly forever. It was not a moment of tranquility as Raven bashed his fists into walls and shouted profanities to the sky. Only the touch of Geisha could end his rage. Now here we were, in some junction that led into three different corridors. One we had come from, the others unknown pathways. But in this space no one cared about that, the asari's name held weight and we all assumed she had died. Respect for the dead they say, one military tradition I believed in strongly.

"No, I have nothing," muttered Prince under his breath, obviously ashamed he could do nothing more in the case of the asari.

Raven's hand fell on the shoulder of the tense quarian mechanic. "I understand your concern, I can appreciate it. But do not feel ashamed for your lack of answers. You should not take this on, I am sorry for my outburst." The quarian nodded and the human's hand returned to his side. We all started to release our held breaths, we did not want to witness Raven outburst again. "Who knows," he started after turning away from his listener, "your hypothesis that she is out of your equipments range could hold water." Prince nodded but after Raven's head turned away I could tell there was regret in the quarian's eyes. It was an unlikely possibility and he did not want to tell Raven that. Even though I still felt disconnected from the group, I could sympathize with their anxiety. Military life does that to you.

Silence fell and in that gloom we all took a moment to observe our surroundings more thoroughly. Prince omni-tool's light indicated the right way to go. As if on cue to answer our mind's question, the quarian spoke. "We go forward. A few corridors down and we will reach the main facility." The quarian was breathing heavily, but stillwas not showing any physical signs of weariness.

"Do we have an exit plan?" Asked Finnegan quickly. The human was clasping his assault rifle tightly, checking our flank to make sure no intruders would get the jump on us again.

Prince looked from his wrist to the human who had caused him so much trouble. "Yes," he said, more confidently than before, "we will reach the facility that houses the device in a few chambers from now. Close to it there is an emergency evacuation tube which is used in case of emergencies. It only opens when fires or other dangerous natural forces afflict the facility. All we have to do is supply the force and the tube will open up to Rannoch's surface a few miles away from the main base. The ship should be able to lift off by then and do a quick pick up in no time." Finnegan was about to open his mouth but Prince lifted a finger to silence him. "They will not be able to track the tubes opening. If we send a static burst through the system wires, that should cause some panels to self destruct causing fires all around the base." Prince lifted a small device, about the size of a pea. "This will amplify the feedback and cause the panel's memory to overload at a more extreme rate, which will cause its explosion to be that much more... effective. In the end, through this, no one will know which tube we will go up in." This assurance was all we needed to trust Prince's words again. He had, after all, lead us into an ambush a few moments earlier and the bodies we left behind still dragged on our backs.

The group pushed ahead, more of the same worry pulling us down. Eventually we came to a large room with panels of glass directly to our left. To our right was a long section that led onto multiple rooms. Prince entered first and started to scan with his omni-tool. Once he got the readings he wanted a smirk flashed on his face. "No more worry, that door," he pointed to the third door from the one across from where we had entered, "houses our device."

"Finally," sighed Thionan exaggeratedly. A few people shared his sentiments, yet Siphon merely shot them down.

"We aren't done yet. We will have to get out of here." There was deep truth to the drell's words, but the prospect of losing more members was a painful one. Most of us just wanted to get out and go. The more I think about it, there was no one who wanted to stay in that place, even the brutal Finnegan.

Pillars were around us, perfectly symmetrical and providing a nice design to the whole room. Even though the architecture was vastly different from Earth's, I still felt oddly at home. I guess what they say about quarians and humans being similar is true, I thought as I walked among the astonishingly intricate carved pillars. I was dazzled until my face smashed against someone's armor in front of me and I peered behind them to find a questionable sight, possibly even bothersome now that I think about it.

It was a female quarian with a large shotgun pointed at Raven.

Our leader chuckled and the gun was primed even further. This seemed to interest the man in black even more as he took a small step forward. A shot was fired and all our guns were instantly raised in defense. However the bullets had not collided with flesh, but stone before our leader. "Don't take another step you bosh'tet," the female growled defiantly. This only enticed Raven all the more.

"How did you know we were here?" Asked Raven observantly.

Her mouth was about to break but Prince beat her to the chase. "She must have come from the door before us. There seems to be other facilities and devices in this section of the base. It is odd however that she did not evacuate when the alarms sounded—"

"You don't deserve to talk you traitorous bosh'tet." Her words were of fine poison, harsh and directly aimed at the heart. Prince slinked back a bit from her words. Venom foamed at her mouth. "I cannot believe a quarian like yourself would come and shoot your own kind in the leg, even after our return to our home! There are many things in this life I can tolerate, traitors I cannot."

A huge laugh came from the mouth of Raven as he placed his hands on his hips. "Well then, your words are quite potent aren't they? They would not be as such if you were not defending something here. The reasoning for your continued stand is evident from that. Prince," the quarain straighten himself at the mention of his name, "run a scan of the room she just entered from. I want to know what she's—"

"Don't you dare or I shoot!" Her gun was twitching anxiously around her target. This pleased Raven all the more.

"You would have shot as soon as you saw us. You are afraid, and in that fear I know your motivation and I know where you stand." The quarian's weapon shifted downward, obviously unintentionally yet Raven pounced on this movement like a ghither to its prey. "Exactly, lower your weapon. I know you better than anyone does." This seemed to bother her as her grip on the gun tightened. I do not know why, but this caused me to tighten my own grip.

Prince finally finished his scanning and when he did his face went up, eyes wide with amazement. "No way," he uttered under his breath. A few of the soldiers in front, guns raised to the quarian before them, turned around to the one behind them. Prince looked around for a moment, breaking from his daze to continue to belay his findings. "It's... it's unbelievable. If my readings are correct. My god, Shepard... John Shepard himself is inside that room!"

The quarian's gun flashed up instantly and her gaze was of fire. Finnegan found this amusing and started forward, but was stopped by her prodding him back with her gun. Some more were raised and instantly the scene turned thick with intensity. "My, my, what do we have here? Some quarian bitch trying to prove yourself to your boyfriend—"

"Husband," she interrupted with a snarl, "and you can go to hell you ungrateful bosh'tet. The first shot I fire will be straight into your head!"

"Or will it be in mine?" Laughed Raven sarcastically. "You do forget that you are outnumbered, my dear. Kill the leader, or kill the fool, you decide. In the end you will not walk out of here alive." Raven looked past her and chuckled some more. "Even your lovely human pet might not come out alive."

Geisha interrupted here and placed her hand on the black masked male. He noticed it and sighed, her words bringing as much poignant purpose as her actions. "Remember the mission Raven; do not get distracted with meaningless trivialities."

Raven nodded and gave a bow to the quarian female, whose gun now pointed at him. "We shall be off then, Miss Shepard. I do not imagine we shall meet again, if we do however I will be very impressed." With that he turned on his heels away from her, but her voice stopped him.

"I know what you're here for as well and I'm not letting you have it." Raven started to turn and Siphon intervened, pleading with him to just get on with the mission and call her bluff. But Raven did not want a quick exit, he wanted to have fun.

"I understand your torn loyalty to the man you love and the people who birthed you. I too can understand this loyalty. Yet you cannot imagine killing us – stopping us. Doing so is futile and downright ignorant. You are not a child, I imagine. Are you?" She snarled again and Raven shrugged. "I know who you are, Miss Shepard. I can name you from all those press conferences you held. What was it you promised? That the quarians would help in the rebuilding of the Systems Alliance. To give yourself to a higher cause in the name of peace and unity. Your lover lying dead on a cot and you tried to make peace, not only with the galaxy but with yourself." Raven turned now and faced her fully. "Have you seen Earth Tali' vas Normandy?" There was a pause, so long that I thought I could hear the seconds go by.

The quarian, now named by Raven to be Tali, looked at us in hatred. "You cannot bully me. I know what you are after, the power you crave. Thousands of years of death and destruction, only to be resurrected by an insane warlord—"

Siphon flashed his pistol, which he had previously kept by his side, to her head. "How dare you insult my god."

But Raven only threw up a hand for Siphon to stop, which the drell did. "I am giving you two options, Miss Shepard. Either let us go on and take the device from you and your quarian friends without any difficulty, or I will personally order my men to kill your dying lover in the room behind you. It is your choice. I suggest you take the latter." The quarian female squirmed. Caught in the middle of an uneasy decision, she was trembling in fear. She was without support, without friends, fighting for her lover or her people. I could never have imagined how that felt like.

Her words came distorted, mechanical. "I... I..." She was about to form her next sentence when a bullet rang through the air. It broke the shield and pierced the skull of a nearby soldier as his head exploded and red gore spilled over our group. Instantly guns were ablaze and men were throwing themselves to the ground, firing in the direction the bullet had come, which was to our right. I was on the ground, squirming as men were pumped full of lead and heat as their shields exploded and broke around them. So much blood and electricity. I could not tell what was real and what was fake.

Eventually I came to my knees and started to spray my assault rifle. I saw through the haze of dust erupting from the ground, a series of Council soldiers. Upon closer inspection I saw one, dressed in the attire of the Infinity Unit. It was Kirrahe. My eyes met with his and everything froze. His gun rose. His aim true. His shot fired, colliding with my shoulder and sending me back a few feet.

My shield held, but I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. Bodies were around me and people were rushing, tripping, crawling to survive. I looked to my left and spied Raven firing his pistol from behind a doorway. Tali was there as well, squirming under the control of Siphon who was preventing her from fighting back. Where was I? Lying on my back, bullets racing through the sky. They were pieces of fools gold, worthless but enticing. No wonder this lifestyle drew the young.

I rolled to my right and threw myself behind a pillar. It was large enough to fit a few of our group and once I was behind it I noticed Thionan there as well, firing bullets while dodging death. "How many of them are there, Chameleon?" I screamed, the noises of the battlefield ringing in my ears.

The turian looked at me, his lips pressed tightly together, his mandibles twitching uncontrollably. "I don't fucking know! Enough to cause us some trouble at least." He whisked around again, unloading his clip and then retreating behind the pillar once more. "This is a fucking great time for us to get attacked, eh? Damn our luck." I could not help but agree with him. For our company being so close to our goal, such luck was not becoming of us. At the same time I should had been glad, was this not my moment to escape? But I wouldn't have had this story if I had left, wouldn't I?

I could hear orders. Shouts for our group to configure and rush down the sides of the pillars. Essentially, our superior numbers would grant us victory in the end. I took deep breaths, knowing that this rush could very well be my last. Turning to Thionan I noticed this fear in his eyes as well. A smirk flashed across his face as he threw himself out of his cover and into the line of fire. A few bullets grazed him but a few collided directly, sending his arm flying backwards as he threw himself to the ground. I knew that he needed help so I jump out as well, lining the area before me while pellets hissed with heat.

My shots connecting with a few bodies and I heard the snapping of electromagnetic barriers collapsing. Ahead of me was a fallen pillar and I decided to drag myself and Thionan to shelter. Once underneath, bullets streamed overhead, hitting some of the soldiers behind me. It was madness. I turned to Thionan; he was nursing his arm and giving me a small smirk. "Saved my ass again, didn't you?" I chuckled a bit at that before chunks of stone broke from the top of the pillar and I found myself stooping lower from the top. This caused Thionan to laugh, albeit with some difficulty. "Well aren't we in a shit hole?" I tried to argue but I knew it was fruitless. The Council's task force had sealed us off and, though we had previously suspected the Normandy crew to be in line with the Council, the truth had now been revealed.

I rose my gun and fired a few shots in the general direction. A few made their mark, but most slid past the Council soldiers. I swore, ducked down and was rained upon by death. This was just a routine, sit up, fire, duck down. It seemed simple yet one mistake was what killed you. In this place nothing was ever simple. After a few seconds and Thionan's retreat back down from firing, I rose again. Aiming very deliberately I took out a soldier whose shield had collapsed. Seeing the tactical advantage of Thionan and I, a grenade was thrown to knock down another pillar and soldiers threw themselves against it. Cover was the only thing that kept anyone alive here and I was thankful I was lucky enough to find some.

In the heat of battle, a shadow fell behind the form of Kirrahe, my former leader. In a flash the salarian turned to meet with an omni-blade that had spun out of the darkness. It collided with his gun, snapping the weapon like a twig as hot metal oozed from the two pieces. The salarian saw this and jumped back, bringing out a small pistol that he fired at his assailant. The man had three shots impact his body but his determination was impressive. At last Kirrahe fired at his opponent's arm and the omni-blade exploded into a fine powder of energy and blood. Screaming, the assailant threw himself on Kirrahe, smashing his head against the wall. In this chaos and confusion I was firing away at the soldiers who tried to choose which target was more important.

Things moved so slowly that I could see everything. Raven called the troops into a rush – to reach the device in the midst of all this confusion; Kirrahe punched the assailant which knocked him back a few paces; Kirrahe's men launched forward throwing themselves out of their cover and the hood of the mysterious assailant fell to reveal a humanoid male, his face charred and burned horrifically. It was Operative Carmen; he had survived the attack at Omega.

I was shocked and so was Kirrahe, by his expression. This moment of pause caused a smattering of gun shots to break my shield and caused excruciating pain as I was thrown back by the force, but not before seeing Kirrahe stabbed in the gut by Carmen with a spare knife he had. Hitting the ground hard I had the wind knocked out of me. In front of my eyes everything became foggy. Thionan appeared in my vision, shaking me and yelling at me to get up. I couldn't, everything ached so much. The turian swore and I found my world shifting. I was being lifted. In the end I was lifted upright, being held up by the turian beside me. His grunts and swears were fully articulated in my ears as he dragged him and myself across the room to get to the device.

My head turned around slowly to see the line of battle. The Council forces had retreated slightly, moving backwards into a doorway that was at the end of the hall. Where was Kirrahe? I could not find him. Part of me never wanted to. I was sure he was dead, his corpse bleeding a fine paste of green and yellow blood. All I cared about was Carmen's whereabouts, the traitor; the man who had waited all these years just to kill the superior who he probably thought had set him up.

Explosions sounded nearby as all the stone started to crack and burn around us. Blasts of energy seared about in the room, cheers sounding at the Council soldiers being flung around like flies, their heads popping off like bottle caps.

The turian who was carrying me whisked around to the source of the damage. All I could hear was the sound of men exploding, their bodies vaporizing and bursting from the mass effect fields being generated around them. I heard someone yelling, yet their words were incomprehensible. Everything they said was jumbled, like a hex a witch would cast on human folklore. I could pick out words though. Only words. Stop was one. Crazy another. Once I caught a sentence. It was simple yet powerful, blasting deeply into one ear and out the other. "They are finished," was what it said. "They are dead." "Stop attacking." "Let them live."

A face was the start of this madness, a face of anger and pain. Of blue blood drenching the attacker. It was Biasheta, back from the dead attacking the soldiers. And it was Thionan who was begging her to stop. The smells... oh god the smells. It was like a coffin, no, it was like death. Hot. Musky. Dry. Acrid. Inconsequential. Sweaty. Black.

The sounds of screams stopped and followed by silence. My sanity returned as I was dragged by the turian by my side and another member of our group, a female human. I looked to her and tried to smile. God what an idiot I was, smiling after what happened in that room. The last glimpse I saw of that room was the bodies. Stomachs unhinged and plastered on wall. Biasheta followed us in, the last one to arrive in the room. Everyone did not cheer. There was happiness for her arrival sure, but we were too occupied with our senses. We were too occupied with her own stomach releasing itself from her mouth and her collapsing on the floor.

My mind was distant from this time, everything flew by and was impossible to grasp. From the moment of seeing the device to reaching the ladders to escape, it was all a fog. I remember seeing Tali not there. Raven left her apparently, not dead but alive. He had mercy on her for her lover. Some said he was a pussy for his actions. He defended with simply knowing how she felt and that if we had not been intervened, she would have let us pass. He said that he knew her more than anyone else in that room. Back then, I agreed with him. Now? I'm not so sure. Damn, I'm not sure anymore.

It was small and cylindrical. An orb that glittered with white light. We were in awe and when Raven lifted it in his black, leathery hands, when he took it up to show us all we were like his cultists; bowing down before the sacrificial item. "Freedom," he called it. "Our ticket to showing this world a new way of life. Saving the lives that were unjustly lost in the war." These words he spoke I did not understand but I would know them soon enough.

Climbing up the ladder I was scared. Many of the team were sweating, worried that if the Council had found us twice, they had realized our ship had left and gone looking for them. Raven said that the disguised vessel and our companions who had dressed like traders were fine. The weeks of preparation had paid off, regardless of how well our escape would go. He held that orb like a child, no, like a lover. There was no strength behind that grip. There was only adoration and compassion, understanding and revelation to come.

Siphon was the first to reach the top. Biasheta was the last. When the hatch first opened, light filtered through and we were all blinded. Dust and grime fell on our faces and I could hear the spitting of men as the sand entered their mouths. When I came to the top I fell on my back, rolled down a small indent and stayed there in the sun. I was sticky from the blood and sweat and the sand stuck to me like glue. I took hold of the earth; it was moist and tough like clay. How could it feel like sand to my body? How could I feel like I was in a desert? I moved myself onto my knees. Around me were my comrades, before I had been detached from their goals, now I was with them. The clay beneath my knees was as much their grave as mine. I did not care that I was still with them, that Kirrahe might have died, that I had crushed all chances of returning to a normal life. The sun in the sky, bright orange beating down on my sweltering body and I screamed at the top of my lungs. I was on Rannoch. I was free from the tunnels. I was no longer a rat.

Geisha came behind me, drenched in as much blood as I was, and put her hands on my shoulders. She had sat down behind me and I fell into her breasts and chest. My suit was torn and wore, covered with filth and gore. I looked up to her, my beady eyes like a beast's, my face feeling like I hadn't shaved in years. And she looked back and smiled. She smiled at me and rubbed her hand along my cheek. "We made it," she said joyously. "We made it." I could not agree any more with her. The sounds of shouting against the sky. Geisha and I together in the sun. Raven with his device firmly in his hand. Biasheta, escaped from her certain death. We all looked up to the same sky on the ground we were all rooted in. We could hear engines at last.

In the distance, the outline of our vessel black against the sun.


	16. The Graveyard

**Chapter 16: The Graveyard**

_"I went to her place a few days after the attack on the gang. Its leader was ours and we were to leave the next day from that lifeless rock. When I entered her apartment right behind her, I felt weary and tired. She started the coffee maker as I sat down; the blinds on her windows were up displaying the bright, grey city before us._

_"She smiled as she lowered a mug to the table before me. It was empty, just like me. She sensed my worry. 'What's the matter?' She asked thoughtfully. I looked at her and sighed._

_"'Just what happened back there, I suppose,' I lied sullenly. 'I mean, all this war and death. Seems pointless, you know?'_

_"She nodded sadly and sat beside me, her hands resting on mine which lay in my lap. 'But we fight for those who cannot.' I raised my brow to this and she sighed, sitting up straight, looking at the ceiling in thought. 'What I meant was there are those who have prejudice placed upon them. Those who cannot fight back, otherwise they would be painted black. We fight for them, the lost ones, the ones who cannot speak.'_

_"I found this hard to believe and asked her on it. 'How does killing a gang leader help those whose voices are long gone?' A smile streamed across her face._

_"'Come now, all those prostitutes, all those little boys who do drugs run to them. They were enslaved by the evils of the gang. If they had fought back and come to us, we would have shunned them. 'Cursed beings and liars,' is what they are called. We are here to make sure that when they need help we give it to them. We kill and fight so that they can be free. We take the blame and prejudice for the sins they commit. I think that's a worthy cause, don't you?'_

_"I looked to her eyes, so beautiful with their luminosity. I loved her... I still love her. It hurt to be so far from her eyes, her lips. The words she spoke were like water in a desert. Traveling and killing as long as I had, it was like manna to me. I took her hands in mine and stared deep into her eyes. 'I...' I began with nervous anticipation, 'I...I..' A sharp sound breached the air and she jolted upright and turned to the coffee machine that was beeping loudly. The coffee was done._

_"She excused herself and grabbed my mug and hers. I looked down into my hands and clutched them together with a sigh. Damn my accursed luck."_

* * *

"What will we do with a drunken sailor?

"What will we do with a drunken sailor?

"What will we do with a drunken sailor?

"Early in the morning!

"Way hay and up she rises!

"Way hay and up she rises!

"Way hay and up she rises!

"Early in the morning!

"Shave his belly with a rusty razor!

"Shave his belly with a rusty razor!

"Shave his belly with a rusty razor!

"Early in the morning!"

The sounds of cheering males atop broken ships rang through every crevice. The dismantled bodies of dysfunctional geth and AI units were laid strewn everywhere. Hardly a place to celebrate, but then again I agreed with being joyous. We had come out of the lion's den and we had survived. Not only that, but with the very object we desired. The trip back was filled with boisterous males and shanties all around. The more they sang, the more they drank, and in drinking singing flourished. I even got up and joined the songs on the ship. A few rounds of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" when Raven entered the cabin was sung by me and a few other soldiers. Raven laughed and gave us all drinks from his private stash, yet he did not stay for the continued songs. He never stayed or participated, he only watched.

The ship ride took seemingly forever. After the initial party and celebrations (most of us drunk out of our minds), we sent a few people to the cockpit to see how long it would take before we reached our new base. A few days, the pilot said. Damn, at the moment we didn't care. "What are a few days with a full bottle of gin and turian brandy?" Shouted Thionan at the top of his lungs when he heard the news. He was obviously drunk with his arm wrapped tightly around Zealot. Though the female turian usually shrugged off his suggestive motions, this time she complied with his wishes. Maybe it was because she was giving him some time off, or maybe she felt sorry for him.

Either way, in a day the bottles ran empty and the hangovers began. I was lucky, my stomach was strong and I could take a large amount of liquor. Others, like Prince and Thionan, were perpetually in the washroom. Groans and sounds of vomiting emanated from the room loud and clear for all to hear. Now with quarian metabolisms becoming stronger and new drugs being created so they could eat solid food, even Prince could join in on the festivities – though I doubt he would ever want to again after experiencing the "mother of all hangovers".

The excitement died and we wandered the halls. A few games of poker were started but I always lost. My poker face was never the best and I would often lose the whole pile on just one quick frown from my face. Prince wanted to join and he did for a time, though he was asked to remove his helmet about the fourth round. Some men complained that they couldn't tell his expressions with the pane of glass in front of his face. Here Prince left the game.

We had air stabilizers built into the ship; most old ships had to be retrofitted with the system and all new ships came with it pre-installed. So taking off his mask would be the least of the quarian's worries, but he refrained from removing it. Thionan guessed it had something to do with it being symbolic for him still being connected to his culture. This thought hurt however, for after the raid on the quarian facility Prince could never feel part of his culture again. That much I was certain about, especially from Tali's words.

"Early in the morning!"

The sound of singing males brought me back to the base. We were outside, sitting on ruined vessels and broken ships. It was a graveyard of old tech, destroyed central nubs, and AI cores. You could smell the oil and rust everywhere. I was glad I did not have to hear the sounds of degrading metal. Being here had a profound effect on you. If these strong and immortal devices can rust and grow old, what does that say about us when we are neglected?

I was sitting on a small metal box, probably some air stabilizer from a wrecked ship. In my hands was a small meal made straight from the kitchens on the ship we continued to reside in. Here I thought we would have a full base to relax in, not the ship we had grown to hate. But I could not complain; the hot soup in my hands was a beautiful feeling being on a planet that was so far away from a sun. It also helped the feeling of the opaque darkness around us; sometimes I hated worlds that had the only habitable side perpetually in darkness.

Hearing the sound of increased cheers and excitement, I looked up and saw Geisha being thrown on stage by the rowdy men. She was in one of her more skimpy attires and to this I groaned. On the trip back I had thought that we could get some more time together. I desperately wanted companionship and seeing Thionan with Zealot only increased these pains. I always had Prince, however, but he could get annoying. No, I wanted to spent time with the perfect female, yet I couldn't. "She's with Raven," was the common response. The more common risqué remark was that she was "deep inside his cabin." That one always made me cringe; did I really love a used woman? This thought became all the more apparent once we landed on the planet. Raven asked what the men wanted Geisha to wear. At first the answer was "Nothing!" and after a few laughs and cheers Raven reaffirmed his question. But he really did not need to repeat the querry, he knew what they wanted.

So there Geisha was, dressed as close to naked as they could get her to. They danced around her and laughed with her in their arms, drunk and amused. I could not blame them though, after what they had all seen they needed the time off. God, what we had seen was something I wish I could undo.

They started to get rowdier and now some were throwing Geisha into other men's pelvic thrusts. Our krogan battalion graciously given to us by Urdnot Wreav was clapping and cheering. They too, though not as sexually driven by the males singing, were enjoying themselves. I guess sex and song are two things that are universally acknowledged concepts. Though Raven was not there at the moment, I bet he would have been concerned for her safety. I mean, he did love her... didn't he? The thought bothered me greatly... the increased worry and anxiety for her safety bothered me; was I the only one who cared for her here? Maybe, but then again I was exactly the wrong person to ask about these matters. I had used women, I had satisfied my desires and it burned like a cancer in me. Some would say I was trying to turn over a new leaf. Maybe, but I guess back then everything was a hypothetical.

"Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter!

"Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter!

"Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter!

"Early in the morning!"

I could see Geisha being thrown around like a rag doll now. Some men catching a kiss or two, some throwing their hips out when she fell into them. Cheering and laughing, half of them probably didn't know what they were doing. In the morning a friend of theirs would tell them about their deeds and some would be ashamed, others would be proud. I was of the former group.

The more I looked at the display before me, the angrier I got. Finally, when one of the males threw Geisha on the ground and started to laugh unapologetically, I made my move. I stood up, placing my soup on my seat and walked briskly over to the group of hungry males. In a few short steps I reached them and pushed them away from the fallen Geisha. They looked to me in disgust, they wanted their fun and it was being from them. Who did they think I was, trying to separate their dicks from its natural pleasure? I told them. "You stop this right now, this is inhumane."

One laughed. "Inhumane?" He replied in a mocking tone, his mandibles were twitching like mad. "How do you like this guy? Thinking we are all humans. I'm telling you this is exactly what I hate; human dogs thinking they are better than us. What gives you the right to dictate what we do? Tell me."

There was a short silence. It was awkward and tense, yet I decided to stand strong because Geisha had done the same for me. "She deserves respect. Remember that she is only temporary fun, she still belongs to Raven." I hated using those words, but they were the only words that would get into their thick heads.

One snorted and looked around, slowly realizing the truth behind my words. Not only was it that but the figured that had appeared behind me, which made him shrink back. I looked around to see what he was frightened of to find Finnegan behind me, his face like stone. "I agree with Shade here, leave Geisha alone." One of the boys helped her up and handed her over to me. I dusted her off, her skirt and top torn and ripped from them tossing her around. All in all she looked fine and gave a quick thanks to me and Finnegan. I replied with, "Your welcome." Finnegan replied with a grunt. She left slowly, walking through the crowds of krogan that were slowly dispersing now that the show was over. I looked to Finnegan and, though I hated the human's morals, I nodded to him and smiled. He smiled back.

But as I started to leave I heard a harsh, sharp snap. I turned quickly to find the turian who had spoken out against humans on the ground, nursing a broken mandible. "Don't you ever insult my species again you imperialistic pig!" Finnegan threw his foot against the turian's stomach as the male rolled over onto his side, wheezing in pain. "Earth is a pile of ruined shit thanks to your races abandoning it." He snorted and spat on the turian. "And you have the nerve to call us colonialists. You sicken me."

The turian did try to defend himself. "But we helped you rebuild Eden Prime, is that not your new home? Is that not the support we gave you after the Reaper War?" Another kick and a cry from the turian.

In an instant Finnegan lifted the turian up by his collar and breathed into his face, his eyes burning with hate. "Look at the Citadel above fucking planet turian, then tell me if you have done us any good." With that the turian was thrown to the ground and Finnegan walked away. I, too, quickly adverted my eyes. If Finnegan hated one thing, it was having people think that what he was doing was making a show.

Taking my soup in one hand I walked from that place. A few yards from there would be where Raven was to make his speech. I had waited to see what he was going to plan for the occasion and to find out what the ill fated device had in store for us. It was tense and, some would say, nerve wracking. All of us waited in anticipation for the big reveal to find out what our mission truly was.

I waited in the meeting place for a few minutes. The crowds were just starting to form and Siphon had started rounding people up. Biasheta was also helping, though in smaller doses. Her recent return from the dead was a surprise to us all; especially with all the fractured bones and internal bleeding she had endured. A few concussions, a brain hemorrhage. God, what she hadn't endured. Yet she still walked around, asking people in her broken English about coming to the meeting place. Her resilience was admirable, if frightening at times: the asari biotic who took on an entire troop and lived. It sounded like some fictitious vid or some ridiculous fiction you buy at a local vendor. These ridiculous events happened only once in a lifetime. No wonder some people thought that these things were some sort of 'divine intervention'. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I still do not know.

Thionan approached me, this time without Zealot. I asked him about her absence and he only shrugged it off. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, is that not one of your earthly sayings?" I nodded and sighed at his comment. Those two had always had a rocky relationship, one that I did not want, yet admired all the same.

However our talk did not last long, for Raven appeared before the crowd. All of the drunken members of the gang cheered and whistled, to this Raven raised a hand and smiled. His mask was off, showing his clean shaven face and his long black hair. He still wore the exact same outfit he had on the day of the raid and I hoped for his sake it had been washed. I hadn't worn mine despite washing it thoroughly. It still smelled of blood. At last the cheers died and Raven was alone in front of the crowd. I could catch a few glimpses of his face, yet he was on the same level as us so it was difficult to see his face. But his words were as clear as ever.

"My friends, we have our victory!" Another cheer was sounded and this time I could not help but cheer as well. Raven savored this moment before starting again. "Now you all wonder: what has this victory done for you? How has it affected you? Well here it is, all your hard work taken and appreciated by myself. Look behind me." We did. It was a derelict geth dreadnought, old and worn. It looked like it had never seen battle for no grievous inflictions on its hull were present. Yet here it was with us in this graveyard of old tech. "Can you believe that once this could take on a whole battalion of cruisers and come out intact? Now I think technology has evolved so that this massive vessel can only take about half that number, yet still its power and size is unquestionable." He looked behind himself and whistled. "Now the logical question should be why did we leave such a powerful item here? Surly we could have used it, couldn't we have?" Nods and shouts were present in the crowd, people agreed. "But look at the world around you. Look at it!" He screamed this last statement which filled us all with fear. "Look at what society has done to a once proud and powerful race that they created. The geth did help us in the final assault on earth, despite what the history textbooks say. The geth help us slaughter hundreds of Reapers and what did we do to them? We killed them! We murdered them and threw their lifeless corpses on a god forsaken planet! Well I say no more!" The last two words were screamed so loudly that Raven's voice broke. But this act was not comedic, not even slightly amusing. It scared us, frightened us to the core. Raven was angry, angrier than he had ever been before.

As he screamed, lights flashed behind him. Huge engines roared and sounded at his cry. Behind him the great geth dreadnought rose and was born again. Its bright lights filled the sky; a blimp of magnificent proportions begging all to come and see its glory. It looked like something from the 1920's on earth. Large and black, with white lights streaming from every crevice. "Behold!" Screamed Raven again. "Our duty and our salvation! The true race that was murdered during the Reaper War, the true race that was unjustly accused of murder and death. This machine will birth us into a new age of harmony and it will rain vengeance on the races who slandered its name!" Raven half expected us to cheer, we could not. It was frightening and freaky. Something so powerful in Raven's hands... what would we even do with it?

A voice finally sounded from the crowd. "What about Earth?" It screamed in protest. "What about all the humans who were taken from our mother planet?"

Raven turned to this voice and replied, "I have not forgotten about Earth, my dear Finnegan." Ah, this revelation did not surprise me in the least. "No, as long as the Citadel stands over ruined synthetics and organics alike I will not rest. I will not rest till those who have hurt, not only the geth, but all synthetic life are punished! But I do not want to kill them. If I had I would have done so those days ago when Shepard was close. No, my vengeance is far thicker than just petty murder. I want to have the universe changed forever and in that change I want it all to realize its grave mistake in killing synthetic life!"

Around us, broken geth vessels started to awaken. Their long one eyed heads started to flicker with life until at last their bodies started to awaken. Their hands started to move up and twitch like some Shelly monstrosity. Hands that twitched with electricity, hearts that beat on oil. Their matrixes started to turn and turn until some could finally stand up and walk. They joined our conglomeration in the crowd and at first we were fearful. Some rose weapons towards them but Raven screamed for us not to be afraid. They were cursed by society just as we were, like Raven had given us a chance we should give them one as well.

At last one person spoke up against the resurrected geth. "How the hell is this happening? I thought the geth could never be restored!"

In Raven's hand came the device we stole from the quarians. On his face appeared a grin. "This is the newest AI core, created by the quarians with funding from the turian and human government. This device is the first foray back into AI technology since after the war, despite the Council's laws against any AI creation. Look at it; look at this beautiful glowing orb! I hold life in my hands! It did not take much effort to hook it up to the geth dreadnought. All these geth around you are but the soldiers for this ship. Such a small core can only resurrect one ship, and yet, what a ship it is! Look at the world around us! It is the graveyard of the geth, where all the AIs were thrown after the war. Now we stand here, resurrecting the forgotten heroes. Together with the geth we will shake this galaxy to its core!" No one cheered. We were too afraid of the advancing geth around us. We were too programmed by society to be truly immune to these creations. They did not speak, only stared intently. In those glares there was something else: Blame.

Raven could see the nervousness behind our glares and called Geisha over. The human female came calmly, her still tattered clothes fully on display before us all. Raven took her beside him and put an arm around her waist, which tore at me greatly. "Behold my friends, someone you have been with your entire lives here in this gang! Behold Geisha, or should I call her Jenny: Pleasure AI Mark III?" There was a dead silence, everything became painfully slow. All that could be heard was the rustling of metal as the geth stood around us. "Yes, Geisha was the last AI construct until now. I found her on the street, selling herself for money. Poor and hurt I took her from the lifestyle she knew so well and changed her, made her human. I placed her among my men to see how she would react. And my, hasn't she done her job well?" The thoughts of Geisha's revelation shocked me to the core. I looked around to see everyone else with the same expression. The fact that the very thing they doted on was the thing society hated and told them to despise. It burned at them and it burned at me. Yet my heart still throbbed for her. How could I love a machine? A better question now is: how couldn't I?

"Let this remove every doubt in your mind of leaving. Let it flush all the hatred and prejudice that society has lapsed onto you. Behold our new beginning friends. Behold our shining example for society! Tomorrow we will raise this ship unto the heavens and we will change this galaxy forever!" Now the shouts and cheers rang high as all doubt had been erased. Or was it fake? While I heard the shouts and cries of cheering, I also heard fear and confusion. We had been tricked by our leader and as I looked into the bright dreadnought above, I could not help but feel a new beginning for us all. I was not sure if this beginning was good or bad and that scared me. Yet Raven's words... they were tangible, real. As I listened I agreed and accepted his lessons. He was right and all thoughts of leaving had left me as swiftly as they had come when I had first joined the gang.

The bright lights above were shining down, accenting every shadow in the group. The Vipers had a new mission now, one that would take us further than we had ever imagined. Around me stood both organics and synthetics as the bright lights of the dreadnought shimmered in content.


	17. Reapers

**This one is for the guest who wanted to know what the galaxy was thinking (via a similar CNN report) and all those who wanted to know a simple question. "What the hell is the Council doing right now?" This and a lot more is answered in this piece. As always reviews are welcome. I do not know what I do right or wrong unless I get feedback. You are as much a part of the story as I am writing it. **

* * *

**Chapter 17: "Reapers"**

"This is Khalisah al-Jilani reporting to you, the people of the galaxy from the Battle Space head desk. In Terminus news, the Omega Relay has been experiencing some pirates guarding the trade route. All vessels are to be advised when crossing into this space as the pirates are considered dangerous and at large. Omega security officials are allowing trading ships landing in key systems to contact them and arrange a protection squad for their safety. The market in the Terminus System dropped eight basis points; this is not surprising with the increased pirate activity in the area. Finance Minister Kor of the Terminus Market Sector had this to say: 'We are working very closely with Terminus officials to maintain the market value. The last thing we want is a drop in any major sector. Not only would this hamper Terminus markets, but also Citadel ones as well.'

"In Council news, on Rannoch there has been a raid by a key rogue syndicate only identified as the 'Vipers'. This has caused not only great division in the quarian people, but also the Council as well. Diana Allers on Council Watch has more on this story, Allers?"

"Yes Jilani, I'm here. Recent reports have stated that a mysterious syndicate, only known to the public as the illusive "Vipers", have attacked a key research facility within Rannoch. While most Council sources have been quiet about this matter, we have our very own Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema with his take on the events that befell our galactic community. Thanks again for the interview."

"It is my pleasure, Miss Allers."

"So, as seen with recent reports, it seems that they caught you off guard. With such high security surrounding Rannoch and no ships except trading vessels allowed in, how do you think they breached your systems? Should this be a concern for most families?"

"No, I would say that there will be no further problems. On the matter of what caused the breach in security, it could be many things. However, we assumed that through experimental cloaking technology and a keen disguise, they managed to pass through unnoticed."

"How could a syndicate such as this get a hold of such technology? Is it even being researched?"

"I cannot say specifically, but what I can tell you is that the technology must have been flawed. Our team of infiltrators cracked their system in no time and, through the brave quarian men and women, we drove them off our planet with heavy losses for their forces and little for ours."

"I see, do you know the purpose for their attack? What were they after, exactly?"

"Right now we do not know, we can assume it was to steal something from our highly acclaimed research labs. As we speak the quarian people, with the gracious help of the turian hierarchy, is going through stock of all technological assets. So far we have found that nothing has been stolen and only certain lower areas of the facility have been damaged."

"That is good. Do you think this attack has any correlation to the warehouse firefight on Omega that happened about a month ago? Could they possibly be in line with the blockade of pirates that continue to ravage vessels entering the Terminus Systems?"

"With the information we have now, this gang is a new threat and has no correlation to any past events. To be honest, 'threat' seems too powerful a word for them. They are more like 'pests'."

"Interesting, did you hear that Chancellor Raan is stepping down from her spot on the council? Seeing as you are part of the quarian admiralty board, could you tell us her reasons? All we know is the name of her replacement."

"I can tell you as much as I know. Admiral Raan is not one to speak for her actions. Raan, like me, is part of the quarian admiralty board, but unlike me she is a Grand Chairmen in the Council here on the Citadel. She leads not only the quarian people on Rannoch, but also quarian interests on the Citadel. After this recent attack she made it clear that she will focus her efforts on leading her people and not political gain. The board motioned Yenka'Deliana vas Segarus to be Raan's replacement and, as such, will gracefully accept her resignation."

"Thank you for your time Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema."

"It was my pleasure, keelah se'lai."

"So there you have it ladies and gentlemen; an attack on Rannoch, a resignation from the quarian Grand Chairman, and a new quarian taking her place. But what of this new threat: the Vipers? Should we be concerned? Is the galaxy truly as safe as the Council tells us? Time will tell, but what I can guarantee you is that whatever happens, I will be here reporting news that interests you, the people of this galaxy. Back to you Jilani."

"Thank you Allers for your increasingly relevant report. More information on Raan's stepping down will be on later in our program. In further Council news, the Grand Chairman wants to reiterate that all AI testing is strictly prohibited. C-Sec states that already sixteen cases of illegal AI testing have been noted in the past six months. All citizens must realize it is their duty to report and comment on any sightings of this illegal testing.

"Now onto Skyllian Verge news. The Batarian Councillor reports that the military strengthening of the rebels in their government is decreasing drastically. A recent census states that—"

* * *

"Shut up Captain Vakarian and stop your excuses!" _Even when you are a captain and a decorated member of the turian hierarchy, you still have someone who outranks you_, thought Garrus with a sigh as he lowered his head. Chancellor Kain stared intently at the turian captain before him. Though the outburst of the turian Chancellor Valern had caught the human chancellor off guard, he did agree with the comment that Valern had made. This captain, Garrus Vakarian, did talk too much. Though the thoughts of the human were his own, Garrus knew what the human was thinking: that he was trying to cover his ass. _Well partially that_, he thought with a grimace, _and I'm trying to set the record straight._

"Pardon me Valern, but is this not supposed to be about the reasoning behind the quarian raid?" The turian chancellor growled and glared at the quarian through slitted eyes. All of the chancellors were standing behind a small panel wherein they could gain access to the extranet. They were standing on a platform being held up by large pillars between which the Vice Council sat. These were the races that helped in the Reaper War, but had made a minor effort. Garrus did not like the division of the races from their military worth when it was originally proposed and he did not like it now.

The large krogan, Chancellor Leven, swayed back and forth, grumbling as he spoke. "What matters is not why it happened – as we all know it happened due to the fact that your damn quarians paraded your technology all around the damn galaxy – but rather how it happened."

Chancellor Deliana whisked around. "The quarian people are new to the galactic stage. This was the only way of showing our worth, our dignity to the galaxy. If you confuse this with pride you are sadly mistaken. For how many times have your bloody race shouted about your military might? Sure, we can't talk about the genetic and physical enhancements that could save millions of lives, but you can talk about how your military group force rivals the turian—"

"What about the information leak that your apparent 'scientist' had with an asari whore?"

"Enough is enough chancellors," broke in the asari chancellor's voice over the noise. Garrus smirked at her calm disposition, yet found it curious that she had come to the quarian's aid. Already the new chancellor was the youngest of the entire Council, but with recent advancements in serums to boost quarian immune systems, the young quarian chancellor did not wear a suit. Instead she wore a low cut dress that barely left anything to the imagination, her hair long and black with her face dolled up for every occasion. The asari were no longer the center of beauty. "We are here to discuss the events of Specter Ashley William's and Captain Vakarian's squad, not bicker like children."

The chancellors looked around at each other and gave a snort of contempt. _So much for unity within our leaders_, thought Garrus as the beautiful eyes of the quarian chancellor looked to him, her bosom stuck out for extra effect. "Now that we are settled, I have a few questions for you Captain."

The turian before the Council looked up. Each face held a thoughtful expression, each gazing intently at the turian, curious as to what he would say. _Every move I make is calculated here, damn I wish I had Ashley with me_, then again he realized why she couldn't be with him. He didn't want her to take the fall for this one after her failure with the Omega disaster. "Fire away," was the cleverest thing he could come up with.

The krogan chancellor snorted yet the quarian found this humours and gave a wide smile. "How did you find out they were to attack the quarian research facility?"

This was a tough question, one that Garrus knew would have a follow up question. He mocked being deep in thought for a bit before he started. "I have a friend—"

"A 'friend' he says," snorted the turian chancellor but was stared down by the human.

Garrus looked around for a moment before continuing. "My friend is an information broker. She dug real deep and managed to find a lead. We took the chance and found heat signatures from the members of the gang. It was a gamble that proved to be in our favour and got us close to catching them."

"Close is not the correct term used to please us, Captain Vakarian," stated the asari chancellor strongly.

"No, I suppose not," replied Garrus grimly. "But then again, correct isn't really in the Council's definition, is it?"

The turian chancellor growled in contempt. "How dare you—"

"How dare I what? Tell the truth?" Interrupted Garrus with a grin. "I would watch myself if I were you, chancellors. You have been playing a dangerous game with your lies. I liked that political stunt you pulled with Gerrel and the news caster; saying that they used cloaking technology to mask the technical prowess of the Viper gang," Garrus looked up and shook his head. "Tsk tsk, indeed. At the same time, not noting that they were in correlation with the attack on Omega? It's like you're helping them hide—"

The turian chancellor was about to throw himself from the platform but the asari, Chancellor Firania, raised her hand to calm him. She spoke once the turian lowered himself back into his seat. "You don't understand the grave repercussions of such an action, Captain Vakarian—"

"And you don't understand the repercussions of your lies!" Garrus spat out quickly. There was a dense silence that filled the air and Garrus instantly regretted letting his tongue go loose. All eyes were on him and he felt increasingly deeper in trouble with the Council.

At last the asari chancellor spoke, her words running as smoothly as water. "If you want to accept repercussions, accept this one. Commander Kirrahe is in the Citadel Infirmary because of your failure to act. An assassin, previously of his gang, almost killed the salarian. This was because of, not only your failure on Rannoch, but your failure to act on Zayarter." The words dug deep into Garrus' chest. He was about to speak but closed his mouth slowly, realizing that he had nothing constructive to add. "What my colleagues and I in the Council have been trying to do is preserve galactic peace. By openly airing your team's consistent failure, which I might add, we could have done, we not only put to risk the civilian populations' faith in our order, but also the reputation of the Normandy itself, not to mention Commander Shepard's good honor."

This dug ever deeper into the turian and he quickly apologized for his quick tongue. He promised it would not happen again. "Good," spat the fat krogan with a grin. Garrus could almost smell the fried food that wreaked off of his breath. "Now that your words have been cleared up, I might be willing to add a few remarks here." The asari chancellor nodded her approval and Chancellor Leven cleared his throat before speaking. "It seems that this gang, the Vipers, has been one step ahead of you, to use a human idiom. And yet, the one time you acknowledged that you had an advantage, still they triumphed. Why is that?"

Garrus' mandibles clicked in nervous agitation. "I... I have no answer to that."

The turian scoffed as the krogan gave a chuckle of amusement. "You don't have an answer, heh," his mighty head shook back and forth as he laughed. Below, the Vice Councillors looked at the turian captain before them with worry. They started to doubt the turian's leadership.

"I have a damn question, turian," the human chancellor spoke up after the moment of reflection had passed. "Why should we give you so much money if all you do is waste it? I mean, really, what is the extent of your failures? Could the Vipers even breach Citadel soil?"

The turian chancellor scoffed once more at the thought with his arms crossed before him. "Impossible, with our military fleet they would be no match."

"I seem to recall that turian vessels were orbiting Rannoch on the day of the attack," countered the human Chancellor Kain. This stung the turian chancellor greatly, enough for him to flinch. "Can we trust your fleets again if they were to attack the Citadel?"

The turian licked his lips and flickered his mandibles. "I seem to recall the human System Alliance fleets in orbit as well. Where was the great human empire in this time of need?" The human chancellor did not seem fazed by this jab; it was not his concern about galactic security and safety. No, that was the turian and the drell councillor's below, both of whom seemed to be on their toes.

"Regardless, are you the party we wish to fund? If, in all honesty, you feel you cannot oblige in completing the task that, might I remind, you asked us to instill upon you, then I feel as if we have no more reason to fund your future endeavors. In essence you have become our liability." This burned deeply in the turian, for the Council was already supplying the Normandy with meagre resources.

"Maybe if our credit count could be increased—"

The human started to laugh and below the volus councillor chuckled as well. _How do they find this so damn funny_, wondered Garrus to himself. "The galactic funds are tight as it is," spoke the human with a grin. "Allowing the allocation of more money to you is impossible in this economic slump. The rebuilding of the mass relays was no easy feat, mind you, costing us thousands of credits in revenue. Even now there are some systems that have yet to be lit up."

"Couldn't you just have built them without any money involved?" Asked Garrus under his breath. The conceptions of capitalism still baffled him.

"The whole system would have gone under," spoke the volus through deep huffs and whines of the air ventilation system in his suit. The volus councillor was in charge of all galactic funds, a natural conclusion for him to speak up but there was something curious about how both the human chancellor and the volus councillor backed each other's points up. "If we deny one portion of funds to supplies then most other purchases would have become obsolete. The credit would have been just a number, bringing forth a depression in the markets."

Chancellor Kain shook his head and waved his hand to the volus' words. "Now is not the time to discuss the motivations behind our actions. This is the time for you to explain yours. So tell us, why should we continue to fund your project?"

The turian captain turned his gaze downward. His hands were tightly clasped behind himself and his jaw was clenched in agitation. _I need a damn good reason, I really do._ The truth would not set in for bureaucratic creations such as these. Garrus knew that just spewing out that this gang was dangerous would not get him what he wanted. _Shepard had tried that for years and look where it got him._ "Already you have seen them infiltrate a high priority quarian facility. They have also out manoeuvred, not only my squad, but one of your highly trained Council security divisions. It is ridiculous to believe that this is the work of poor planning—"

"But it is still a viable possibility," interjected the turian chancellor with his arms crossed over his chest. "The possibility of your leadership is in question here. Yes, we admit that these missions were not you leading, instead it was Specter Williams who has led numerous failures." Damn I didn't want to get her involved. "Maybe instead of sticking your own neck out, you would act like a turian and allow the human to stand on her own two feet." The turian turned to the rest of the chancellors now, no longer addressing Garrus. "I say let us judge her and not the puppet before us."

"I only need to remind you of the budget that we have been given," remarked Garrus darkly. "Most of our squad is made up of rookies. The only experienced personnel are the ones I recruited, not the half-assed soldiers I found lying around doing nothing –"

The drell councillor stood up from his desk below the platform with fire in his eyes. "Are you suggesting my security forces are not up to par with your... your..."

"I am not suggesting anything in the slightest," responded Garrus strongly, his eyes now parallel with the floor and level to the drell's. "I am merely stating the experience of your members. Is it not likely that these soldiers under our disposal do not have full military training?"

The drell councillor was about to speak but the turian chancellor interrupted him. "Yes you are correct, I see your point. But more or less experience does not make an army, the commander at its helm does. Until we get to fully interrogate this commander I see no further use in this meeting. We will not cut our funding but we have yet to be impressed with your actions, Garrus Vakarian. In fact, through quarian and turian support we have done a full check of all devices in stock and found not a single one missing." Garrus found this unbelievable. The Vipers left with nothing? "In essence we now not only doubt your ability as a unit, but also the capability of the Vipers as a threat."

There was a long pause, mostly for Garrus to let all the information sink in. _That's impossible,_ he thought amazed. _The Vipers had a goal, what it was is still in question but I know they didn't fail. As well, from Kirrahe's group they swore that the Vipers were looking for something. Also, Tali swore to us that they wanted a specific device inside the research labs. She never did tell us what it was though,_ realized Garrus grimly. '_Top secret' was all she could tell us._ "Now," started the asari, Chancellor Firania, "here are our articles and orders regarding the case before us."

"We will be cutting a portion of your funding," stated the human chancellor. This was like a knife in Garrus' heart.

"We will be checking your records and validating all of the Normandy crew's past actions," spoke the quarian chancellor with a flick of her hair. This statement hurt as well, for they were basically calling Garrus' words lies.

"Finally," started the turian chancellor with heated eyes, "we will be sending your squad on a mission to the Terminus System and not, I repeat, _not _on a Viper assignment." The mandibles of the turian captain flickered madly, the clenching of Garrus' jaw caused some of his plats to creak about on his skin. _How dare they_, he hissed in his head. "The pirates which are raiding the incoming trading vessels need to be dealt with. Not only that, but this proves a good opportunity to truly test your leader's skills, does it not Vakarian?" Garrus' eyes flashed up, reflecting the lights and burning with hate. Insult after insult, word after word. _And we fought in the same unit Valern_, growled Garrus internally. _You traitorous bastard. _"Does it not, Captain Vakarian?" The word 'captain' was basically spat out. Valern had always been a manipulative bastard and he still retained his only good trait from military training. _That turian is no brother of mine; he's a brother to wrath and vengeance. Power will consume him; nail him to a damn tree._

"Perfectly, Valern," growled Garrus menacingly. "Perfectly." With that Garrus left the circle before the Grand Chairman and the Vice Councillors. With ever step there was the resounding ring of the turian's boots colliding with the ground. Every turian knew that sound like the back of their hand. It was a basic pattern, quick and precise yet agile and fluid. It was the sound ever recruit knew too well. It was the basic marching order that ever rookie completed before initial entrance into the turian military training. _Brothers are what they called us in training... heh_, scoffed Garrus as he walked onward. _You are no brother of mine._

* * *

Garrus left that place quickly and efficiently. With every step he took, he felt the burning eyes of the Council behind him, even when he was far away from their influence. _Bureaucratic morons_, thought Garrus as he marched on, casting glances of hate towards all who looked at him curiously. At last he left the halls that led him to the chambers and came across the open presidium. It was daylight, as it always was on the Citadel. The sky cars flew by peacefully, unabated by the trees swaying below. Everything was sterile and clean. To some it was a perfectly formulaic prison for those who wanted nothing more than false peace. But Garrus did not think these things. Peace had been achieved, through blood and sacrifice there was stability. Races had banned together like never before and equal rights were passed around like candy. Yet there was always those who would try to capitalize on good fortune, thought Garrus grimly.

A hand fell on his shoulder and with a quick glance to his right side a familiar voice and face greeted him. "Why the long face, Garrus?" Miranda Lawson stood before him in a black dress pant and white jacket. The turian always found it curious how dresses were never something she wore. It suited her, the masculine look, more than most thought.

Garrus stood up straight, causing the human hand to drop from his shoulder. "You can probably guess who did it to me."

Miranda thought for a moment and chuckled. "No wonder your wearing that ridiculous turian battle suit." The red and black attire Garrus had worn to many an occasion had been scoffed at by not only Joker, but now Miranda. "I would never be caught dead wearing something like that unless it was with someone who appreciated decorated heroes."

"They don't even appreciated that anymore," sighed Garrus as his gaze returned to the sky above. "Damn Council is cutting their funding further and are sending us to do Terminus clean up."

The human female pursed her lips together into a fine line. "I see what you mean, but then again a break from the Vipers is good." A pause. "Isn't it?"

"You haven't seen what they've done." There was a hint of hostility traced through his words but Garrus did not care about them. Why should she care now of all times? Didn't she originally decline her inclination to help? But this was not a time to create enemies, this was a time to extend hands and create friends. Garrus knew the faults of making too many enemies.

"No, no I haven't. This is partially why I am here right now." Garrus turned from the blue skies to Miranda looking downwards, her hands clasped before her. "I am hoping you can accept my hand in not only supporting your team financially, but also lending Cerberus troops to assist in the fight." Garrus saw her hand flash out, extended towards him. He looked to her, slightly confused.

"What happened to your beliefs?"

Miranda turned from him slightly, her hand still in the air. "I heard what happen to Kirrahe. I... I wanted to visit him. You may think it odd, since I have no attachment to him. I felt bad; possibly because I was sure I might have been able to help. Anyway, that's not important. Who was there was important: Tali was beside him when I entered. She was crying, I mean from what I heard of the fight she was right there in the Viper's hands. She saw first-hand Kirrahe's injured form and she saw what happened to him. I comforted her the best I could but she just stared at me, mocking my empathy. 'You don't know how it was' was what she said. It still burns me inside." She turned her gaze to Garrus once more, straightening her hand out. "Cerberus may have dropped off the markets, but that was because it was going through new management. I am here now to extend our full support." Garrus eyed the hand suspiciously.

"Are you sure? The Vipers are no force to be reckoned with."

Miranda chuckled and gave a wide smile. "Honestly Garrus, when have you known me to be sure of anything?"

Garrus chuckled back and smiled. "I suppose never."

A moment of silence between them passed, the sound of cars hovering around them was their only company. At last Miranda nodded towards her hand. "Well, what do you say?" The turian's mandibles flickered for a moment before his hand connected with hers and they shook tightly.

Garrus's smiled broke its constraints and grew into a large grin. "The Vipers won't know what hit them."

"You bet they won't, not with me on board."

* * *

The thudding music of the Phoenix sounded around her. Everywhere was the neon lights of gold and red, accented with blue flames that ran up the side of the entire area. Couples danced and drank, indulging themselves in sex, beer, and love. Among them sat another. Her blue finger ran around the edge of her drink which was half empty. She stared intently into the bottom of the glass; visions of gore streaking the walls, visions of vomit escaping her lips, visions of necks snapping and blood slowly slipping out from mouths.

The drink looked like blood. Dark blue and vibrant. "It's exotic," said the bartender. She had no doubt about that. She swirled the liquid in her glass as she downed another gulp of it. Her insides squirmed and begged her to stop, yet her mind found clarity in the experience. _Vile liquid_, she thought. _Why do people drink this stuff?_ The answer was equally as painful as the question._ I should ask myself._

Everything felt so wrong. The thudding music did nothing to sooth the tides of aching pain she felt in her heart and her head. Every jolt of music sent a searing pain through her body. Every jump, dive, or swing in tempo broke her down. Tears should have come, but they didn't. What did that say about her state of mind now?

Many of her friends had tried to reconcile the loss. They were all liars; they did not know how she felt. Sitting in front of her computer, trying to think of a letter to write to Samara's daughters... how could she? Every time a word came onto the screen it would be covered in blood. She could never write the truth, she could never write the perfect allegory for the deeds and wonders of the asari justicar. How could she?

The drink could never be finished. It would always be full. For every sip she took another one would be there. She would sit here until she died. And in that moment, she was fine with that.

A shadow crossed her face and the length of the table. She dared not look at it, for fear that it might move and her shelter from the flashing lights would be gone. "Liara?" Was the question that sounded from the voice. It did not faze her. It was a distant name, a name her mother gave her. Her mother, her father... pure blood ran through her veins. What was she but a common muck? The asari used to celebrate pure bloods, throw them money and jewels. Now they cursed their names. _Finish the deed you pure blood coward_. It hurt even more when the words were not from the Viper biotic, but from Samara.

"Liara?" The voices around her were all lies. It was a thick cloud. She did not want to leave the sky. The ground was rooted in blood. Nutrients that had been given by the dead.

"Dammit Liara, look at me!" She was lifted by the voice's creator and her head flopped around lazily. She looked up and saw the eyes of a turian, Garrus, staring intently at her. "Liara, what is wrong?"

She could not say anything for a moment. The deep bass driving through her body from her feet to her head. All the alcohol swirling in her belly, driving its pleasurable senses upwards. She was on the moon. But the ground called her. Her mother wanted her back. _Pure blood coward... _At last a word formed but it was not directed at her companion, it was directed to herself and all the voices that flashed around in her cranium. "LIAR!" She screamed before collapsing into the arms of the turian before her, weeping heavily.

"Liara... I... I..." The words were weak but the strength of them was not needed; the action of Garrus holding her was enough. They stood there for a while. Liara limp in the turian's arms, Garrus holding her steadily, sighing and looking upwards. The music changed, partners found partners and now the sweet dance of love started. The two friends, one reaching out to the other for support, were below the dance floor, oddly dejected from the dancing above them.

A moment passed where Garrus took her from his chest and held her a few inches from himself. With one hand holding her up, the other lifted her chin. Their eyes meet, hers stained with tears and agony. Liara could barely see Garrus through the mask of her tears. What was the turian but a shell of support? "Liara," started the turian once more, his eyes staring into hers, "would you do me the honour of a dance?" Liara looked from him to the dance floor behind them. Her words could not come before Garrus whisked her up the stairs(which she awkwardly climbed) and thrust her into his arms, their bodies oddly close yet extremely comfortable.

Their dance continued well after the song ended but no music was needed for it. Liara looked from Garrus to the floor and wondered about the future and her past, yet all these worries collided head first into one simple truth. One recognizable truth that Garrus whispered softly into her ear. "Be here. Right here with me. Now, in this space."

She did and they danced till all seemed to fall away and left them suspended in air.


	18. Immortality Complex

**Chapter 18: Immortality Complex**

_"So we left that barren world shortly after our meeting. We went to the ship Pretium, a massive Alliance vessel that housed our entire team. Three days we stayed on that ship, travelling to our next location. In those three days I found peace, I found love, and I found solitude. In those days I would often find the mysterious black haired woman appearing at my door with coffee in both hands. 'On the house,' she would say as she set them on my small table. _

_"Though she was not the only one in tune with these surprises. I often came to her door with roses, white roses, and she would thank me profusely. I was in love... I was in love and now despise myself._

_"It was on the fourth day when this bliss ended. We were attacked, to say the least. A large geth squadron decided to raid us for materials. Their motives unknown to us at the time, we were caught completely by surprise. I remember my fear once the alarms sounded. I was not meant for this; I was the brains, not the brawn. Now a gun was thrust into my hand again and I was told to sit still and wait for orders. I still remember the caliber and name of the gun... it hurts to think of those memories._

_"In the attack our ship was damaged on the port side. It was then that I realized my female friend was stationed in that area and I rushed out to that side of the battle. No one noticed me and, if they did, I doubt they cared. Blood and metal crashed together creating a sickly scent that wafted into the senses and bled its imprint into the mind. I reached her as the cleanup was beginning. She was shot in the side and I immediately tended to her. 'Don't bother about me,' she said through wispy breaths, 'look after the others.'_

_"'Why would I do that?' I responded with a smile. 'I only have eyes for one.' It was then that my revelation of love was complete and I could see the love reflected in her eyes as well. It was bliss, pure bliss. Later as I reflected on this happy memory, a sound entered my mind. I must have heard it subconsciously and it bothered me. I checked the security records to affirm my thoughts. It was not what I wanted to hear._

_"Beside our tender embrace lay a geth, crying out into the dark. 'Help this unit,' it said, 'its collective only wants peace.' It's cries carried on long after I turned off the monitor."_

* * *

My days were filled with routines and drills. It seemed that if we were not calibrating the geth drones connected to the ship, we were working on squad tactics. They were mostly filled with loosely connected endurance and marksmanship courses that were set up by Siphon and Finnegan in large sections of the ship. You may think that such space was limited, but in actuality we had rooms to spare as three huge mess halls were situated inside the ship. Though the interiors were at best a motley collection of wires and plates of metal tied together, the couches and bar tables gave us a feeling of home. In this space, metal and flesh intertwined; the harsh, gritty walls around us contradicted by the plush seats of fine living. God, what a funny group we were.

I distinctly remember one course we did. It was a marksmanship set up where we were to aim down the sight of our gun and successfully fire through a hole to hit the bull's-eye. It was nearly impossible, even Siphon with his steady hand could only nip the top of the circle. It was a geth unit that successfully completed the drill without any difficulty. Simply by pulling the trigger, the machine had calibrated all possible trajectories and thus had perfectly made the target. It was flabbergasting to say the least, especially for Finnegan who could admit to being bested by a human, maybe even another organic, but most certainly not a synthetic.

Thionan told me a few hours later how he had overheard a discussion with Finnegan and Raven. "They seemed to be quite at it; loud and obnoxious, you know?"

I shrugged. "It depends, Finnegan is always quite brash when he speaks."

Thionan raised his brow at my reply, which in turn caused me some confusion. I asked him on it and he gave me a response. "I find it odd that you and Finnegan get along well. At the beginning I thought you perceived him as an arrogant ass."

I tossed this thought around. My indifference to Finnegan had changed drastically. The human was kind to me and often included me in routines and assignments. Though I knew this was only because of my race and his 'mistrust' of other species, I could tell he respected my opinion. It was similar to talking with Raven. I could not say the same to talking with Thionan, who would only brush off everything with a joke; Prince, who would rant about scientific anomalies in multiple syllabic expressions; and Siphon who was as dead as a brick wall. This left me only with Geisha, who I talked to here and there.

It hurt seeing her eyed suspiciously through the crowd. The past whoring of her body had quickly abated as they were now suspicious of uprisings. I did not blame them, nor could I. I felt the same way as they did. Brought up in a world where synthetics were deemed demons and devastating creations of sin and hatred, we all suspected knives to be in our backs every time we turned from them. Yet my adoration for Geisha drew me in further and confused me all the more.

I was thankful that I at least had Rhetoric to discuss my confusions with. The days had been growing longer and the claustrophobic lighting and walls of the dreadnought had started to grind on my body. Walking around, I was a corpse. Talking, I was barley thinking. Action was the simple reaction for the people around me.

"So what you're saying is that you feel static?" I was with Rhetoric in her new office. When I had commented on it upon entering she only replied with, 'I like my offices small, makes everything more personal.' I guess that tells you everything about her.

"I guess, I don't know. I mean, I have felt freer than I ever have before. Like I can finally control my fate... I just..." I shook my head, trying to separate everything that was driving me mad.

"Is Geisha bothering you that much?" Asked Rhetoric thoughtfully. I couldn't respond. Speaking the truth would be too obvious. "Listen Shade, you have to understand that you have to get things you want. You have to work—"

"It's not that," I interrupted bluntly.

Rhetoric moved back into her chair. "Then what is it? I need answers if you want me to help you." I could not provide them. She sighed and squirmed in her seat; either it was uncomfortable or she was anxious in my presence. "Look, you gotta find something that drives you forward. That's all life is. Raven sees the universe holding hands peacefully and without the fear of hypocrisy and utilitarianism as his goal. Siphon wants to serve his god and live on the side of the light. Biasheta—"

"But what do you want Rhetoric? You're just some enigma, never speaking about yourself." She looked to me and sighed, not willing to reveal anything.

"I want Raven to give me what he owes," is all that she told me. I nodded and stood up again, telling her that I doubted she could help me until she reconciled with Raven. As I started to leave, I heard her voice once more and I turned to her. She spoke softly yet portrayed a deep strength I never knew she had. "I want Raven to pay for what he did to my sister. He killed her in cold blood. I want him to finally realize what he did." I did not say anything, nor could I. I just left through the door, her words still slowly spewing from her mouth. "Rosaline..." was the last thing I heard.

I walked down the halls from her office alone. The revelation of Rhetoric's humanity shocked me, frightened me. She seemed so confident, unbreakable. But with her sister's name escaping from her mouth, I found a hidden emotion; it was darker and more vibrant than I had seen before. But it gave me hope that maybe I could reconcile my feelings as well. I suppose it was worth a try.

As I crossed an intersection of halls I bumped into Geisha. She was carrying bundles of paper and parcels and once we collided they all went flying around the hall. I looked at her and she looked at me, words of "sorry", "it's my fault", "I'm so clumsy" coming forth from our lips. At last we laughed and contended to picking up her fallen equipment.

After the job was done I offered to help her. She said that she was fine, but she appreciated my offer. I looked to her and could not help but love her. Rhetoric's words still fresh in my mind, I decided to ask her the ill fated question. "Listen, Geisha?" Her brow rose in wonderment. "Look, I suppose you get this a lot from all the other soldiers, but I think I mean it this time." She started to chuckle.

"Whatever do you mean, Shade?"

"Well... umm, what I mean is that I love you." Her eyes opened widely at the word. "I know it sounds stupid and your attractiveness probably is what drew me in, but I just have to say that I really do feel that I love you. You maybe get pestered by all these love struck soldiers, but I can assure you that I am not like them. I love you for your personality, the way you talk and are so kind to me. When I first saw you in that infirmary room, I thought you were the most beautiful thing ever." She did not blush at that, she only held her shocked disposition. "Later I did find out that the room I was resting in was none other than Raven's private infirmary and that you were his 'property'. But I don't see you as that. I see you as a human being. Though I have heard these slanderous remarks about you after the revelation of your synthetic nature, I could not help but hate the term. It should not matter whether we are metal or flesh, what matters is feelings. Right?" She stayed silent. "I'm sorry if this is rather rash, but I must get it out. Rhetoric and I were talking and I... well, after hearing her talk about her sister Rosaline I could only—"

I felt the hard, cold hand of Geisha hit me across the face and it caused me to stagger back a few paces. I looked at her in confusion but found only hate in her eyes. "You are pathetic. You say you are not like those soldiers who fawn over me yet you crawl just the same. Did someone send you to do this? Chameleon was behind it, wasn't he?" Her lips were pressed tightly together. "You make me sick."

With that she left, leaving me feeling neglected and broken. It was her conviction that hurt me so. The thought that I was just the same as those... but I was. It dawned on me that she probably had a hundred wounded soldiers fawn over her like dogs, each wanting to touch her face. The want of a man in pain is far greater than any logic and she was driven by logic. The thought was bile in my throat. Oh, how she must have hated me.

The walk away from that intersection was filled with regret. I felt stupid for my ignorance and rash nature. Emotions had clouted my thoughts and lost me the hope that had given me such strength over these past few days. The grey walls were offset by a walking geth. It was in the opposite direction as I was walking in, but its keen stare into my eyes was interesting, to say the least. "What are you fucking looking at?" I swore at it. Its gait ceased and its head turned around, the singular eye burning bright with electricity. "Well?" I asked it, my own walking now stopped. "What are you looking at?"

The geth's head turned to the direction in which its body was facing. "I am looking at an organic whose level of hormones is exceptionally high. As well, the human's blood pressure is rising steadily, possibly due to high stress or emotional strain."

I growled and turned my gaze to the floor. "Sod off you bugger," I replied as I walked onward, head down. I had been beaten by a synthetic being... twice in a row. The creator had been surpassed by the created. Damn, that's some deep shit right there. Too bad I never really found out its meaning until the end.

"All personnel are to report to the main conference room for a meeting," the voice rang out across the com. Its pitch was sharp, its intent just as deadly. Raven wanted to call a meeting, the next phase in his plan was about to inception. I sighed; this was not the time for such matters. Yet the thought of Raven's next phase in his master plan felt oddly comforting. Maybe I needed something to take my mind off of things. Heh, that's rich. I needed some thoughts about fighting to ease my mind about living. How I had turned. But in this turn I realized something, equal parts frightening yet oddly comforting. I did not mind this blood lust.

* * *

"You may be wondering why I have assembled you only a few short days after the creation of our new military unit." Raven's cool words soothed the slight edge in the room. Everyone was already worried about the synthetic beings; all 'fun' had basically been removed from their lifestyle. Everyone was being watched by immortal beings; though they could be killed their lifespan was indefinite. Being watched by such impossible creations seemed to make people a lot more cautious of their actions. This was nice considering I did not have to witness any more male hormonal lust when walking the halls.

"You're damn right we are wondering what the hell is going on," replied Finnegan with a huff. Finnegan: the man who speaks his mind whether people want to hear it or not. It was refreshing from the constant political drabble from Diana Allers of the Council representatives. The gods above only know how all of us want to put a bullet through every single one of their heads.

We were all in a large room, the walls still the basic grey that covered the halls outside it. Raven was at the head of the room, a platform raised a few inches from the regular seating area. It had been set up to be a classic ball room: white table cloths, a grand piano, and a crystal chandelier. Extravagancy was not Raven's problem, it seemed. "Why not dine on fine luxury, my dear Finnegan? Taste the wine that has been placed at your stations." I had not touched the wine personally, but I had seen a few others who had already finished their wines and were talking amongst themselves jovially, their stomachs stuck out with pompous intention. Geth were iron soldiers at the sides, completely still with their unfaltering gaze. I spotted Geisha in the back; she was talking with Biasheta and Zealot, smiling as if nothing had happened between us moments earlier. However, our gazes never met once during the seating period. Even after all the wine had been delivered by the geth and people were chatting she did not even glance at me. At least I had Thionan, Siphon, and Finnegan at my table. They were three people who I could at least tolerate.

Finnegan did not seem to like this display. "What's with the sudden change, Raven?"

A smile from the black bird. "However do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, dammit! What's with the wine and the expensive furniture! I thought we were supposed to be champions of justice! Showing those rich pigs in the Citadel how wrong they were! Not... not-"

"This was not what you expected from me? Tsk tsk—"

"'Tsk tsk?' What the fuck are you playing at Raven? Giving us wine, delicacies and then calling us champions of the galaxy is not only morally wrong, but also hypocritical as well! What are you trying to do?"

Raven's dark eyes flashed upon Finnegan. "You think this? That all those who fight for justice, then turn their head and gorge themselves on expensive food the next minute should be punished?"

Finnegan was in utter disbelief and so was I, as a matter of fact. What _was_ Raven playing at? "Yes, I am using your words Raven – not my own. How can these things sound foreign to you?"

The sharp smile of the black haired human flashed as he turned to the crowd, his arms open wide and his grin even wider. "This conviction that all who speak about one thing and act another way has been declared by Finnegan, your second in command! He is disgusted by this sight, hates all those who commit this fatal adultery." Raven's words became instantly quieter, though he needed only a church mouse's whisper to attract the attention of the now silent crowds. "So... let it be decreed. You who have been in my presence, you who fight for me yet gorge yourselves at the table of the Council. Here," there was a sharp pause before he finished, "is your reward."

Someone started choking and spluttering, another, then another. Soon people started dropping like flies; falling on the tables, blood spurting from their mouths. Some were choking lightly but it only grew worse. Red was spat out as the plague of blood spread through the crowd. At last the final man choked and cried before falling to the floor, blood trickling out of his nose. Everyone was standing now; the ones who had been spared looked around at the places of the dead men. It was evident as soon as they saw the distinction between their seats and their dead friends. The dead men's wine had been sipped.

Finnegan whirled around to face Raven who was now leaning on the grand piano behind him. His arms were crossed before his chest, his eyes burning bright with amusement. Around the hall there was only stillness and silence. Now inside the room were the dead and the ones who feared for their lives. "Why?" Spoke Finnegan softly. Raven only lightly chuckled.

"The hypocrites have been removed. Those who call themselves guardians of justice yet bask in the light of the 'rich pigs' have been slain. Now only the true heroes of this war remain." Raven turned around and proceeded to reveal his own glass of wine that was behind him the entire time. He swirled it in his hand and raised it high to the sky, light reflecting off the crystal in every direction. "A toast," he shouted at the top of his lungs. "A toast to those who have shown their true colours." With that Raven proceeded to take a gulp of the wine. This sparked Siphon's shout of protest as well as Geisha's scream. She started to run through the crowd, pushing aside members of the gang until she got to her master. She looked at him and started to touch him, barely believing what was happening before her eyes. I could not understand nor grasp the complexity of Raven's actions. What the hell was he doing?

"You... you..." Siphon could only splutter his words, shocked at the display before him. "Why? My god, why did you—"

"Sacrifice myself? Ha, I have not. You seem to believe that the wine I took was the same as theirs. No, there is but one chief difference between my drink and theirs." Raven flashed his omni-tool and started to tap buttons. A sharp whine pierced the air as he pressed his finger to the holographic pad. Until he saw fit for the whine to cease, it remained drowning out all hearing before and a few seconds after.

Thionan was standing beside me now, slightly furious over the display that was happening before him. "What the hell is going on, Raven? Answers. I think we deserve them!"

Raven smiled and looked to Geisha, who was still fazed by the loud sound. He threw his arms around her and showed her to the crowd. Her eyes fluttered for a moment and then she collapsed in his arms, to this Raven only laughed. "What was inside their drinks were small nano-bots. These tiny microscopic machines infected the bloodstream of all those who drank the wine before them and started to tear them from the inside out. The kill code for such a synthetic creature is a specific high pitched whine. Organics are not fazed by this sound; at most they experience slight nausea. But to a synthetic creature..." Geisha's eyes flashed open as she started to hyperventilate in Raven's arms. She was weak, but alive. My heart was now at ease. "It can be quite shocking, we shall say. I have effectively removed all those hypocrites you spoke of just a few short minutes ago, Finnegan. Are you happy now?"

The human officer just grunted and returned to his seat. At his place his hand collided with glass sending it spiralling towards the ground, its contents spilling over the scarlet carpet. At that cue, members of the team started to sit down. Only about thirty to forty had been, as Raven put it, 'removed'. I don't know what I thought of them. Now I see it as madness, yet I suppose it was quite effective in what it set out to do.

The interesting thing I noticed was how everyone took their glasses. They each systematically poured out the contents on the carpet, staining it a deeper red than it had originally appeared. The glass would be next to go; some shattering, others not. What remained was a floor of crimson glass. Reflections of, not only the light shining to the ceiling, but also ourselves.

"Glorious! Glorious!" Raven shouted, clapping his hands. Geisha took herself from him, her gaze still full of worry and concern yet also something deeper: betrayal. Raven saw this and extended his hand to her. She took it and he squeezed it tightly, reassuringly. "Off you go, my darling. You may stay here, or leave, whatever you choose it is fine by me." Geisha nodded and started towards the rear doors. Before she could leave, however, she was stopped by Raven's words. "Thank you."

Her perfect neck turned around so that one eye glanced at her master and Savior. "You're welcome," was her dual worded reply as she left without another sound, cautiously watching wherever she stepped.

We all sat there, waiting for Raven's next words. Most of us were shocked, yet utterly complete in our conviction. We understood Raven's motives, we understood everything that had to be done to secure out perfect future. We did not blame him for what he did; in fact we all thought it was genius. But it frightened us all the same. "Now that I have a room full of my brethren, those who I know will not betray me, I can speak my next plan." His hands that had been outstretched before him were now relaxed and placed behind his back. "You have see this ship, tasted its almighty elixir. Now we shall taste its wrath. The Normandy SR2: a state of the art ship developed over ten years ago for the sole purpose of stealth infiltration and extraction of military teams. It is not our enemy, its crew and ours are locked in an infinite struggle. This gridlock of power and tactics can only last so long before one side takes the first strike."

"What are you getting at?" Asked Siphon softly, the drell's voice showed a hint of annoyance with the theatrics.

Raven's glance went to the drell and a smile crept onto his face. "That I shall tell you. We will be attacking the Normandy in a few days: a head on assault that will end with the vessel's destruction and this ship," Raven ran his hand in an arch above him, "this magnificent ship will lead us to victory. A week from now, the name 'Normandy' will only be a relic of a forgotten age."

Finnegan looked over his shoulder. "How do you propose we complete this task? The Normandy is a state of the art ship and even if we could enter the same system as it and attack, how would we even know where it is?"

Raven chuckled. "Oh ye have little faith. I have demonstrated the way in which we will track them before you right now. These little nano-bots will guide us to the Normandy. If you can recall during our attack on Rannoch we met a certain quarian female—"

Finnegan nodded. "Yes, I remember."

"Well, that female logically went with her friends aboard the Normandy. For reasons I cannot fathom she thinks she will be safer with them and be more use to them. Poor, poor little girl. During our assault and our forceful capture of her, I managed to slip a nano-bot on her envirosuit. These little bots are impossible to detect and, as such are vital to a certain number of quarian scientists." Finnegan's brow rose and so did mine. Raven was a lot sneakier than we thought. "I have been tracking her and listening to snippets of her conversations. From what I can gather, they will be dealing with pirates near the Omega relay. Though this technology is quite new, I can guarantee that the information I have uncovered, though slight as it is, is accurate. My fellow champions of justice, we are but a few short days away from conquering our foes! Now who doubts me?"

No one could really challenge Raven's question. We had all seen his cunning in full display. The events that had unfolded before us had proved, yet again, the level of Raven's intelligence. The dark human stood at the front with the full knowledge that he had gained our support once more. But, then again, I suppose he really didn't need to put on a show; we would follow him to the end. He must have known our loyalty was unquestionable, so why the elaborate display? This question bothered me long after the meeting had ceased. Long after we walked tip toeing around the dead bodies and glass. Long after I had drinks with Thionan and Prince, getting so drunk I could barely stand and finding myself in my cot throwing up. This question bothered me right up until I had a hangover the morning after and I washed my face in the sink. As the mirror imitated my reflection, I realized the truth I had been running from the entire time.

Raven gave us a show because he enjoyed it.


	19. Breaking Point

**Chapter 19: Breaking Point**

"Got a moment, Tali?"

"For you Garrus, I have two." The quarian turned herself around to face the turian at her open door; he wore crimson battle garb despite receiving common mockery from the human pilot of the Normandy.

"What are you working on?" Asked Garrus curiously as he walked over to the small station the quarian female had set up in her room. Tali turned back to her work and displayed the machine. It was a round, spherical mechanism that clicked and chatter in electronic waves. Wires dangled out of its pores, obviously intended to make sure it could be plugged into a machine. What machine the sphere should be plugged into was a mystery, yet Garrus had his suspicions about both the machine's title and where it was to be fitted. "What's this? An AI core?"

Tali slapped the turian's shoulder and gazed at him incredulously. "You know AI testing in illegal!" Garrus only shrugged. "No," she replied after a brief moment, "this is a VI, heavily modified to fit 'Citadel Standards'. Still, even with the harsh regulation it's a VI nonetheless. The last one I worked on, Joker turned down – said the voice was too high pitched."

Garrus gave a soft smile. "Still working on the recreation of EDI, eh?"

Tali whisked around, mouth open to defy Garrus' question, but she could not. All that came out was a sigh. "I'm not going to lie to you, Garrus; EDI's resurrection was my original plan for this... 'thing'. Then the Council introduced the AI act a few years ago. That took a lot of personnel out of the project. Not too many quarians or Council species will even help me try to make this VI. The whole protocol is extremely linear and breaking such laws results in immediate imprisonment with little to no trial involved. So that's been stalling my progress... that and I'm not really good at programming." She returned to her desk, the mechanical sphere was looking less and less impressive by the second.

Garrus gritted his teeth together which caused his mandibles to flicker in discontent. He wanted to help her but knew the sanctions that had been put in place. Already he had approached the Council on one of their endeavors and that had ended poorly. He did not want to repeat that meeting again. "Look, maybe you should... you know... give up on the whole thing?"

Tali looked at him, then shook her head. "No, this is something important to Joker. You saw how excited he was when I first gave him the new VI."

"Yes and I was also there when he grimaced in disgust. You can't please him, Tali. He wants EDI back and you and I both know that is impossible."

Tali looked to the small object in front of her, then back at Garrus. Determination was deep in her eyes. "I don't live on the possible, neither did Shepard." The name set him back a bit, yet the turian respected the quarian's feelings. Shepard was a hot subject not only in the ship, but in the galaxy as well. He was seen as a hero, a demon, a saint, a sinner. In the end, he was a faceless being; a story that was locked away in closets and told to children. The people who sang his praise were either dead or soon to be. Garrus nodded and started to leave the room when the voice of the female quarian caused him to pause. "On another note, I heard you and Liara are doing well together."

Garrus spun around, confusion on his face. "Whatever do you mean?"

Tali giggled. "Come now Garrus, don't tell me that dance with Liara was nothing."

The turian's mind was awhirl. How did the news of their dance get out so fast? It was Garrus who wanted to keep it on the down-low, especially since Liara and he had not talked since the event. This was due to the busy schedule they had in dealing with the pirates, though he had the distinct feeling she was avoiding him. Liara had told him before how she felt saddened by Tali's love towards Shepard; could that feeling still be around? He shook the thought away. One thing at a time. "Who told you?"

Tali put a finger to her visor. The visor was still something she wore and vowed to continue to wear until Shepard woke again. _Poor thing_, the turian thought with a sigh. _I hope one day I can see her face_. "I think it was Joker... no, maybe Ashley... I really don't know. All I heard was Kasumi giggling about it to Zaeed. She seemed immensely amused by the whole thing." Tali suddenly burst out laughing and Garrus had to probe her with questions multiple times before she stopped and answered his curiosity. "I just remembered Grunt's reaction. 'Ew,' was what he said. Oh Keelah! It made me laugh for so long!" Garrus thought about it for a moment before chuckling himself.

"Grunt's still young after all, I suppose; you'd think that he'd be accustomed to relationships by now."

Tali shook her head; her grin was so wide it was visible through her visor. "It wasn't the fact of the relationship that bothered him so much." Her statement brought to light Grunt's true anxiety and to that Garrus started to chuckle. This caused Tali to laugh as well which brought the two friends into fits of joviality. In the end Garrus was holding his stomach and Tali was struggling to keep herself on her chair. A whoosh of the doors behind Garrus caused the turian to turn around, finding himself face to face with Ashley. Tali was in the middle of containing herself while Garrus straightened himself up immediately at the sight of the human specter. This only made Tali giggle further.

Ashley looked slightly bemused with the whole endeavor and eyed Garrus suspiciously. Garrus could only shrug and respond with a soft salute. "Specter," he said.

Ashley's eyes turned to slits as she inspected the scene once again. This time Tali had calmed herself down and was now smiling casually at the human specter before her. Ashley gave a sigh and turned to Garrus. "Captain, I need you on the bridge. The Alliance is sending a cruiser to meet us at this location in a few moments. I need you to be there not only to secure our recent quarry, but also to plot where we shall strike the pirates next." The word 'quarry' was ushered with spite behind it. The turian captain knew that this mission was not of his or Ashley accord – he knew that she would fight the Council's decision to the end, but even her hands were tied. _I guess that is why she makes such a great leader_, he thought.

Garrus nodded in response to the remark which seemed to suit Ashley just fine. He watched the human specter exit through the door after a wave of her hand; she intended him to follow. After her departure, the doors whooshed closed behind her which left the turian and the quarian alone in the room once more.

"Ashley looks upset," remarked Tali as she returned to facing the device she had been working on.

Garrus nodded, his gaze forlorn. "She's taken the dismissal to heart, just like all of us. The Council's statement on the Normandy was not an easy pill to swallow, especially their remark towards her leadership."

The turian captain's eyes returned to the quarian at work, her slender hands maneuvering the small laser cutters that were situated around the object. He stood there for a moment, watching her meticulously working away at the metallic VI when her voice broke him from his trance. "Do you ever regret joining the Normandy?"

The question jarred Garrus and he immediately responded, "Why would you say that?" His brow was deeply furrowed when Tali turned her head slightly.

"I mean, didn't the turian hierarchy give you millions of credits, women, and fame? Last I heard you were a huge war hero." Tali's gaze returned to the desk. "I mean, we all joked about retiring... you know, when Shepard was with us. We would all play poker around the table, laughing and smiling. The Reapers were a constant threat, yet their presence felt so far away from that table. We were a family. And now..." Tali shook her head. "Now it feels like we are lost. The galaxy is saved, right? Why are we worrying and creating more trouble in a place where there is none? Why are we searching for conflict? Haven't we had enough?" Her voice broke and she had to clear her throat. "Sorry, my throat's been acting up," she reasoned. But despite her comment, Garrus understood her emotional response – he had thought the very same thing himself. Why was he still fighting, hadn't there been enough suffering? But then the image of Liara crying over Samara's body hit him; the image of a blood soaked friend weeping over the loss of another. That story of death was being told throughout the galaxy, he couldn't bear to see it on the faces of the people he cared about.

"The vids," Garrus spoke once he found his voice after the long pause, "the credits, the wealth, the fame. It all seems so meaningless. Shepard never wanted all that, even in the end. I'm doing this... _all_ of this for him. His vision that there would be peace, that mothers and daughters would not have to cry over lost sons and fathers. I want peace, Tali. And out there..." He looked to the stars outside. "Out there peace hasn't been reached. But it's close... oh, so very close." Tali nodded softly causing the turian to walk over and place a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "That and the fact that turian women are not that attractive when you think about it." Tali broke out into laughter, which gave Garrus a brief glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe they could prevent more blood from being shed over useless politics.

"Ahem." A human voice entered the fray and Garrus' eyes flashed to the door to spy Ashley there, her hands crossed over her arms. "Not trying to break up this tender scene or anything, but when I said I needed you, Garrus, I meant I needed you now."

The turian gave a dramatic sigh as he turned back to Tali. "Mother is calling me again. I'll see you later Tali."

The quarian continued to laugh while Ashley stood at the doorway, her arms by her sides now in confusion. "Wait, what?"

"I'll see you too, Garrus, even if 'mom' is a bit grouchy."

Ashley's eyes grew wide in anger. "Hey, now wait a minute!"

The two friends laughed hysterically as Garrus started to leave the room, giving a small wave to Tali before placing his hand on the human specter's shoulder. "Come Ashely, didn't you say you needed me 'now'?"

Ashley scowled. "Ya, I needed you for the political bullshit and now I need you to explain what the hell you meant by what you said!"

Garrus gave one last turn to Tali who was facing him in her seat, a wide smile on her face. _Maybe Shepard will wake up one day and I will get to see her smiling face without that mask_. Garrus returned to Ashley as the door closed. "All in due time, my friend." It was only after speaking this statement that he realized he had rectified his own worries.

* * *

The walk up to the Normandy's control room was a loud one. Ashley probed Garrus with questions on his remarks and Garrus fired back sarcastic quips. They could be heard from a deck below and above as they continued to do so all the way up the bridge. Garrus knew Ashley well enough that she could take a joke well, but he also knew about her insatiable curiosity and eagle eye that had her dying to know everything at all times. Their relationship was a tangible one and the turian captain didn't want it to change for the galaxy.

The two of them entered the sliding doors to find Joker and Miranda by the main console. Miranda was on her omni-tool, jotting down placement markers on her mini- map and talking to Joker about possible sites where the Vipers could be hiding out. For a while, Ashley and Garrus did not speak, only observed the two as they joked and jostled each other, talking about a range of topics from politics to salarian cuisine. At last Ashley looked like she had had enough and sharply cleared her throat for all to hear. Miranda whipped around followed by Joker spinning in his chair to see the two commanders standing before them.

Miranda and Joker both knew the mission they were on and clearly understood that what they were discussing was off limits by the Council's orders. So, Joker did what he did best: back tracked. "So... uhhhh, Miranda... how's that scan of the nearest system going?" Joker jabbed her with an elbow, all the while keeping his face in an innocent grin. "See any pirates yet?" He questioned through gritted teeth.

Miranda cued in and gave a lukewarm smile as well. "Ah yes, pirates. Well you see, Joker, the funny thing about those pirates is—"

Ashley shook her head, slightly chuckling which threw both humans off guard. "You two can cut the act, I've heard enough." Ashley slowly sauntered over to Joker's left side which was unoccupied. All the while as she walked, Joker shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you'd think I'd hand you over to the Council for talking about the mission we are _supposed_ to be on." Joker turned from Miranda to Garrus and shrugged.

"Well, you know Commander. I knew from the get-go that you would be fine with it. It's that turian over there who I'm concerned about. He keeps giving me these weird looks and it slightly bothers me a bit. Looks like he has a stick up his ass or something—"

Garrus furrowed his brow. "Joker..." he warned softly.

The human pilot could only shrug. "Sorry Garrus, I can't help but wonder. That dress is so big that you could easily fit three sticks up your ass and no one would know!"

Laughter ensued from the cockpit of the Normandy. Even Ashley softly chuckled into her fist. At last the laughter died, leaving Garrus rolling his eyes. "Ha ha ha," he stated monotone as he walked over to Joker's control panel. "Find out anything about that Alliance cruiser that was supposed to be coming?"

Joker turned around and started typing away at the holographic displays. He threw aside a few screens and started to blow up some others. At last Joker sat back from the panel once he had brought up a large system map. There was a single blue dot in the middle beside a light blue circular outline that obviously represented the planet they were currently orbiting. "That's us," explained Joker nonchalantly as he pointed to the smaller, darker blue dot. "Everything else is space. Right now I can't get a lock on anything outside this whole damn system." Garrus grimaced as Ashley started to pace nervously. It was not like the Alliance to be this late. Joker noticed their agitation and spoke out. "Listen, maybe they ran out of fuel or something? Needed a pit stop perhaps?"

Ashley shook her head, only this time it was not in humour. "Honestly, Joker, for once can you please just shut up?" The human pilot's eyes went wide as he raised his hands in defense. Garrus could understand Ashley's worrying, but right now was there a need for so much bickering?

"Listen, Ashley," she whirled around at Garrus' voice. The turian took a step back slightly as the human specter's eyes were blazing. "Look at this logically. Just because they aren't here doesn't mean we should be attacking one another. There could be a legion of reasons for them not being available right now and I doubt any one of those reasons could be in the slightest—"

"Commander, I got something on my scans." Garrus heard the sound of Joker's wail and focused himself on the panel in front of the human. The blue dot beside the circular planet had remained the same but now there was a bright green dot that was speeding towards them. It was significantly larger than their dot and the speed of approach was vast. Garrus moved closer to the screen and looked to Joker to ask if he could touch. The human pilot, still transfixed by the mysterious signal, threw up his hands and replied, "Be my guest!"

As Garrus enlarged the screen towards the image, bringing up speed ratios and rates of velocity, Ashley was swearing under her breath. "What the hell is that? I thought all friendly ships come up as blue on our systems and enemy units come up as red. What the hell does a green dot mean?"

Joker started licking his lips in agitation. Once Garrus had moved away from the screen and displayed his findings, the human whistled in amazement. "Holy shit, that's a speedy bastard."

Miranda even stood in shocked awe. "My, I have seen some ships in my day but this one is quite fast. I'm sure a recently built Alliance vessel could easily beat those speeds but no one could get at a ship that new. Besides, I don't know anything that has been made in the last few years but Council races that could match that size and speed." Quick as a flash, the perfect human's head was down on her omni-tool grazing through research reports and files from her Cerberus supporters.

Garrus' mandibles flickered. "That thing seems like a dreadnought, not a cruiser. Look, those speeds suggest a larger vessel and a larger drive core. I doubt most Council cruisers have that kind of space in their ships. Though Miranda was right about ships recently being built faster than ships previously constructed, I cannot help but remind you that after the Reaper War everything got downsized." This comment brought a new tension into the air. It was final; this ship was built before or during the Reaper War.

While Miranda, Garrus, and Joker spewed out suggestions towards the origin of the vessel, Ashley stood there in anger. Her fists was tight and her teeth clenched until, at last, she burst out, "What the hell does a green dot mean, Joker?!"

"Alright, alright!" Defended the male as he peered closer at the screen. "The Normandy has been outfitted with the latest Council systems. In the last few years they implemented a highly complex system that indicates all ships manufactured in the last... well, hell five centuries or so. But even the programmers realized that they didn't have a comprehensive list. After all, anyone smart enough could go to the junk yard and make an entirely new ship. Not only that, but these programmers were at the mercy of the Council's records as well which we all know can easily be tampered with. So, in spite of this, they created another colour for ships that do not show up on the register." Joker leaned forward and tapped his finger against the green dot on the holographic screen. "That baby right there is some unknown vessel and... damn, I hate it when this kind of thing happens."

The human specter growled in anxiety. Garrus felt her worry as well; an unknown ship was never good company. "Can you run any long range scans on the damned thing?"

Joker gritted his teeth as he flashed his fingers across the screens. After a few moments of the three other crew members watching the dot move closer and closer, Joker threw up his hands and swore. "Shit! I can't get a damn lock on it! They must have some sort of jammer. That or the planet's rings are interfering with our sensors but I highly doubt the latter."

"Then what do we do?" Declared Miranda after shutting off her omni-tool. "My contacts won't be able to get to us in time and I can't find any information on the thing unless I know its specs. Why are we waiting here like sitting ducks?"

"What if the ship is actually from the Council?" Reasoned Garrus as he crossed his arms in front of himself. "Sure the Alliance was supposed to meet us here but maybe the Council decided to bring in a patrol that was closer. Besides, you said it yourself Joker, the records are a bit shady. Maybe it's a ship that wasn't recorded—"

"And what if it isn't?" Interjected Miranda. "Look, I'm all for optimism but right now we are in the middle of raider space. We should be wary of all ships that come our way, especially vessels that are unknown on our sensors!"

"But then again, those pirates showed up red on the same scanners. We know for a fact that the pirates cannot create vessels by themselves. If they could they wouldn't be stealing cargo ships and refitting them, they'd just be destroying them. No, this ship being an unknown target just doesn't fit."

Miranda sighed and hoisted her arm at the screen, pointing at the dot's rapid advance. "Well the information here stands to reason that we could be—"

"Quiet!" Screamed Ashley at the top of her lungs. The whole room went silent, save for the soft buzzing of consoles and the careening of the ship in orbit. For a moment all eyes were on their commander, Specter Williams, and her defiant gaze towards the holographic display. "An unidentified object is approaching us and whether it brings help or harm, I do not know. But I will be damned if this ship is not prepared for it when it comes. Arguing will not help this situation, nor will speculating about what it could be. We are here. Now. In the present. This ship will not fall under my command, that I will be certain. Joker." The human spun around in his chair and gave a sharp salute. There was no humour or sarcasm in the gesture but genuine trust and acknowledgment. "Give me an ETA on the ship."

"Aye aye," he said as he returned to the console, flicking his fingers along the screens.

Garrus took a few steps towards Ashley, his mandibles clicking with worry. "Do you think it's that bad?" He asked with hesitation. Garrus did not want to start a fight but he was genuinely curious as to Ashley's motivations.

The human female sighed. "Yes. I have... I don't know what to call it other than a hunch. Recently I have been reading the reports of Shepard's exploits, you know, to get better acquainted for my job as this ship's commander." Garrus could tell it wasn't just to become more acquainted, but to prove to the Council that she was still a capable commander. Not only was her seniority on the Normandy in danger, but also her status as a Specter. "Anyway, I came across the SR1's destruction by the hands of the Collectors. Back then we did not have these types of sensors and the ship was caught off guard and destroyed. I will not let that happen here, not after we have come so far." Her last few words were strained, fueled with emotion and worry. Garrus could tell she was anxious about her leadership abilities.

"ETA is thirty minutes," rang out Joker.

"Damn, that doesn't leave much time. Miranda, I want you to go through the decks and signal the crew to get into battle stations." Miranda saluted then rushed off, the doors sliding closed behind her running form. "Joker, I want you to bring up the Normandy's shields and weapons. I don't want it to obvious that we are firing them up, but I want them ready just as a precaution." The pilot nodded as he continued on with his finger-dance.

"What about me, Ashley?" Garrus asked curiously. The human female turned around to face the turian fully. They stared at each other for a moment before she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I need you here to back me up, Vakarian. I need you to stay strong and be my second in command. You got that?"

Garrus started to chuckle. "If this thing goes to hell, you can trust that I'll be there. I always like a little bit of spice in my soup, mixed with 'certain death', of course."

"You turians are always the same, aren't you? Sarcastic until the end."

A wide grin followed a flare of mandibles. "Damn right."

"Ah, sorry to interrupt this happy moment but we've got the ship incoming right now." Ashley spun around and faced the monitor Joker had placed on his hub. Ashley leaned on the back of Joker's chair, one hand on the back rest and the other on the arm.

"You said it would be here in thirty minutes!" Said Ashley in hushed tones.

Joker could only sigh. "Ya, well now it's more like one minute. Look we need to formulate a plan before—"

Instantly a huge roar of engines cracked around the Normandy as the view screen displayed the massive ship exiting its jump. All members in the cockpit stood dumbfounded, each barely able to speak. The massive ship cracked and rotated as its decent upon the Normandy was made final. "Holy shit," spoke Joker in fear. "It's... it's..."

"A geth dreadnought," finished Garrus. The huge vessel's engines started to roar as its weapons began to heat up.

Ashley screamed in Joker's ear. "Get the engines up! Get the goddamn—" A huge array of slugs across the hull of the Normandy, smashing through shields and plating and driving deep holes into the hull. "Dammit! Just fire back!" Ordered Ashley. Joker did not argue as he frantically started to flash screens upon screens.

The Normandy started to move as the massive dreadnought began its volley again, this time not connecting with the hull as much but still making a few hits. The whole ship cracked under the weight of the fire as blast after blast connected with the shields, sending violent tremors through the ship. "Joker...!" Screamed Ashley as another shot connected, a huge seismic pulse bursting through the ship.

"Dammit! Decks five and six have air leaking." He threw his fingers on a few panels and sighed with relief as their colour turned from crimson to emerald. "There, that should hold the breaches. At least the ship's been outfitted. I'm surprised we've lasted this long—"

"Less talking, more flying!" Interjected Garrus quickly and for once Joker did not have any snide comment to counter Garrus'.

The Normandy started to speed up, twisting and turning in space as it maneuvered towards the dreadnought. At last they were in range with the Normandy's teeth bared and its bite unleashed upon the enemy. Its cannons drove deep into the plating of the ship, tearing deep wounds into the beast. Electricity and metal, the blood and flesh of the ship, was being shredded apart. Yet the dreadnought had thick plating and after its first volley, the Normandy was once again besieged by an array of lasers. Joker swore and cursed as more shots hits, sending the crew members in the cockpit flying around the room. The Normandy made a sharp curve away from the massive dreadnought once more. This maneuver caused its back to be open to the missiles that the dreadnought fired. However, the Council ship was quick and its pilot even quicker. By twisting backwards and completing a one hundred and eighty degree turn, the ship began a volley towards the incoming missiles. The shots connected with most missiles destined to collide with the Normandy and destroyed them. Sadly, a few made it through the barrage and they rammed against the ship, blasting apart some of the hull.

"Come on baby, hold it together," Joker crooned as the ship dived towards the exposed hull of the dreadnought. Each blast of the cannons tore apart the hull and shredded the cybernetic mechanisms in the ship below. But the geth dreadnought was not going down without a fight. Lasers streamed through space and Joker had to roll the ship around, causing the crew to fly about as lasers twirled and danced around them in perfect harmony. One blasted through the hanger at the bottom of the Normandy and the ship lurched forward. "Shit!" Joker cried as the Normandy started to flip forwards uncontrollably. A few lasers caught the aft engines and blasted away the farthest one. Joker swore as he calibrated inertial dampening, causing the ship to complete a full forward turn before shooting through space, now horizontal with the geth dreadnought.

Missiles smashed against the bottom of the hull as fires began to start in the hanger bay of the ship. Red warnings appeared on Joker's screen and he swore, thrashing them away from the main viewing field. Quickly Ashley threw her hand on a number of panels. Pressing a few buttons she started to vent the hanger bay to which Joker screamed at her to stop. "What do you want me to do, Joker?" Fired back Ashley as the ship continued to run down the top of the dreadnought. "Let the fires in the hanger seep into upper decks or get rid of the fires all at once?"

"But there was equipment and people down there!" Joker argued back to which Ashley shook her head.

"Do you want us all to die because of them? You have your damn orders, lieutenant; I suggest you keep to them. I want this ship alive, hear me?"

Joker looked from Ashley to the view screen of the Normandy and shook his head violently. "Dammit," he swore as he continued to man the ship.

Meanwhile, the Normandy was flying along the top of the ship blasting away any pieces of hull that were sticking up from the sides. One shot of a slug hit a radio tower along the top and a stray piece of metal flung itself into the Normandy, creating a deep gash in its right side. Joker swore violently and pulled the ship away from the top of the dreadnought, instead taking it from underneath. There were no guns bellow the insect-like mechanical monstrosity; however the cuts in the Normandy's skin were quite deep.

"How much more can we take, Joker?" Demanded Ashley as a jolt of the ship indicated another lost bulkhead.

Joker was still frantically pawing at the screens but could manage a few sentences. "Don't know, we are venting atmosphere fast. I don't want to expose our back to them, especially since we have no guns there. But due to the circumstances we may have to retreat." Another blast from the back of the ship sounded as Garrus turned his head around to the bulkhead behind the cockpit. _Thankfully we have that bulkhead there to protect us._ Now that the Normandy was in front of the looming dreadnought, its powerful slugs and lasers were firing again. The force of another blast sent Joker's head into the panel in front of him, a deep gash across his forehead bleeding out rapidly as he swiped another holo-screen across the hub, sending the ship twisting right.

"You okay Joker?" Asked Garrus as the human held one hand to his head and the other to the holographic pad. The blood was seeping through his fingers yet the pilot still fought to regain control of the ship.

"Fine, fine, damn I'm fine but what about the—" Another blast sent a shock wave of electricity through the system and blasted a few consoles on the left side of the cockpit. These sparks fell on Ashley, each one tearing through her suit and burning her skin causing her to cry out in pain. Another laser connected and a huge roar of energy blasted right behind them. The main floor of the Normandy had been hit. "Bastards!" Screamed Joker as he pulled the ship up and blasted at the dreadnought they were now facing once again. Each shot connected and drove deep cuts into the hull. However, the dreadnought fired back and in doing so smashed along the side of the Normandy, cutting through the left side of the cockpit and searing mechanical equipment straight to the rear of the ship. Hot magma from the heat of the lasers broke through the wall of the cockpit and Joker had to create some temporary shields to hold the air in the room.

Ashley swore as the ship was torn to pieces, each shot smashing into and creating holes along the outside of the hull. "Are all personnel still alive and active?" Commanded Ashley as another shot broke through the metal plating.

Joker threw up some life signs but the screens became fuzzy and impossible to read. The pilot smashed his hand against one of these screens which caused the circuit to double back and electrocute the human's hand. Joker cried out in pain as the Normandy's weapons smashed its way through the main bridge of the enemy's vessel. The geth dreadnought crooned back in pain at the attack. Despite the horrific roar of explosions and metal breaking, Garrus thought he could hear the scream of a young woman emanating from the massive ship. Despite the grievous looking wound, the dreadnought's assault was unrelenting upon the little stealth ship. The great Alliance ship cried out as the continual burst of lasers and slugs broke through every pore, causing flames and metal to crackle and hiss in pain like its pilot.

Garrus pulled Joker out of his chair as Ashley threw himself into the pilot's seat. Holding the screaming Joker, Garrus shouted to Ashley. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting us out of here! We can't win and I don't want to lose this ship!" The Normandy twisted away from the dreadnought which stayed still but continued its assault. A few lasers hit, which caused one of the left engines to burst and explode in strain.

Garrus could feel the ship cracking under the weight of fire and demanded Ashley leave the cockpit alone. "We can't save the ship! Even with an FTL jump, the ship couldn't handle the strain on the bulkheads. We would be ripped to shreds!"

"I will enhance shields then, brace the sides for impulse—"

"We need to get to the escape pods!" Affirmed Garrus as another blast from the left side of the cockpit sent his hand up in protection.

Ashley swore under her breath. "Impossible, systems are too critically damaged. The only possible way is to jump out—"

"And do what? The dreadnought could very well follow our engine signatures and kill us! Do you think that would work?"

"I can route the stealth systems to activate once we jump, that way it will be extremely difficult to pinpoint our location—"

"Even then, it's a risk!" Another burst from the laser of the dreadnought caught the Normandy, which caused another explosion in the cockpit. "Listen Ashley, the whole bridge is going to explode! I need you to help me with the survivors! I need you alive!"

The human specter turned her head, her face horridly burned and charred from the heat and flames around the cockpit that licked her skin. "Garrus," she spoke softly, "I want you to lead the crew."

"Ashley—"

"Don't argue with me, Vakarian!" She screamed as a reply. "I need this crew alive and the only way that is remotely possible is if we make the FTL jump—"

"But, can't you get out—"

"No, the system is so shot we'd need manual access and I doubt you can get another one of your 'faceless soldiers' to input the jump for me—"

"Dammit Williams, we need you—"

"No!" She roared above the flames around her. "You are mistaken. They don't need me, they need you. The crew needs you, Garrus Vakarian." With that the bulkhead doors to the cockpit opened and Ashley Williams turned her head around. "Make Shepard proud, be the leader I could never be." With that Garrus swore and threw himself and Joker behind the bulkhead just as the doors closed shut. Outside the bulkhead there was the whoosh of speed and the cries of the Normandy straining under the stress of the jump. Then, after the agonizing seconds of space seemingly exploding around them, there was silence.

Nothing moved.

Everything was still.

Garrus pounded on the doors of the cockpit, screaming at Ashley to come out. But no voice answered. Nothing came. In that moment nothing moved, everything stood still in the awe-inspiring wreckage of the ship. Garrus Vakarian; Archangel; C-Sec Operative; murderer; friend; lover, stood on the precipice of leadership and felt fear. Behind him were doors that lead to the main floor of the ship. There the crew would be waiting for a leader. But right now, Garrus stood in the middle of the two bulkheads with Joker on the floor sobbing in pain. Outside of the small room, Ashley Williams had died in a flash of fire. On some damned station, Shepard was in stasis. And here he was, Garrus Vakarian, inn the wreckage of the Normandy.

"Why me?" He asked through hoarse sobs, no, they weren't sobs, they were cries of anguish. Everything had moved so fast, every action had led to another and now here he was; alone. But in this grey wreckage of metal and blood, Garrus knew what must be done. It was not a want, nor a wish that had been granted, but the passing of a torch in memory of an old friend. It was the memory of Ashley Williams, a woman who died to save the Normandy. He took a deep breath in and helped Joker to his feet. The human pilot shifted in his arms and looked up at the turian soldier.

"Is she...?"

"Yes," replied Garrus, monotone. Joker looked down to the ground, unable to say anything. Together, the two of them opened the bulkhead and walked out onto the main floor of the Normandy. Inside, the two members were going to find the crew and keep them alive. Outside, the ship cried in pain against the darkness.

In space no one could hear a scream.


	20. 21 Hours

**Chapter 20: 21 Hours**

_The ship will lose all oxygen in twenty-one hours... all personnel be advised that the ship cannot sustain life once this limit has been reached... the nearest escape pods should be located and used as soon as possible... thank you for using the Citadel Audio Mainframe System mark VI..._

The ship was a graveyard. Stray wires and pipes dangled loosely from the ceiling plates. Consoles sparked and hissed from an overload in their systems. By the right side, a massive hole lead straight out into space. Metal pipes and the flimsy force field were no security for the personnel inside the ship – the very few who were left alive, that is. The stench was the first thing Garrus noticed when he exited from the bulk head doors. It smelled sweet, the scent of freshly drawn blood, yet it also smelt greasy from metallic structures that were now slick with oil and grime. Garrus spied a few people lifting themselves from the floor, minor injuries and cuts along their bodies and heads. Then he saw the ones who were not so lucky. One was speared by a fallen beam. There were signs of struggle; his fingernails bright red from clawing at the beam that had lanced him. Ultimately, it seemed he had lost too much blood and his attempts at escape were proven futile. Around the edges of the area were splatters of blood and bodies of people who had been thrown around by the shock waves and blasts that the dreadnought had created. Some had been flung onto the walls by the erratic manoeuvres that Joker had done to avoid the incoming projectiles. This Joker realized with a sickening thud of guilt.

"I..." he started, swallowing back the bile in his throat, "I... I did this to them..." The pilot started to choke on his tears and vomit and Garrus had to rub his back to ease him. A few personnel had woken from their daze and were now approaching Garrus. They looked at him, then to Joker. After their inspection of the two members and their sighs of relief, one of them realized that someone was missing from the group.

"Captain Vakarian?" A young human male asked weakly. Garrus nodded at him to continue. "Where is Specter Williams?" It hurt even more that someone else was asking the question and that Garrus had to, not only supply the answer, but probably do so more than once.

"Specter Williams is... is dead, lieutenant." There was a deathly silence that emanated from that statement. A few of the crew lowered their heads, some sniffed tears away and wiped emotion from their eyes. Everyone knew the price they were paying by living this life, but they never thought they would feel its grip first hand.

The lieutenant who has questioned the whereabouts of Ashley Williams, also the youngest of the second deck crew, decided to speak again. "What do we do now? The ship is a wreck, nothing is left..."

Garrus looked around and flickered his mandibles. Out of the corner of his eye he spied the galaxy map and the main central terminal. Garrus quickly looked to Joker and loosened his grip on the human. "Can you stand on your own?" He asked.

Joker nodded. "I think so, Garrus. Just move me to that terminal and I'll lean on it." Garrus agreed and helped him over to the central terminal area that occupied the middle of the main floor.

Once Joker had settled and his stance was steady, Garrus walked towards the steps that led to the top pedestal that overlooked the galaxy map. All the while as he walked, he gave orders: "I want some basic power rerouted to the galaxy map for a short duration; I want to see what system we are in before I make any more orders." Garrus was now climbing the steps, overwhelmed by the odds, with his head low in agitation. "I also want a vitals check on the system: how many decks are damaged and the general state of the life support system. As well, I want a continual allotment of energy to go towards the stealth systems as well as a full inventory of energy left available on the ship." Standing atop the platform and staring down at the flickering holographic map before him, he looked towards his crew. No one was moving. It came as a shock to Garrus; they had not followed his orders at all, not even flinched at his commands. Why?

The young lieutenant was again the first to speak. "Specter Williams was our commander... not you." The final two words were not exerted with malice, but with cold hard logic. This boy had been raised in the military. Born and bred, as they would say. Garrus could sympathize. He knew what it was like to be born and raised a killer, to mindlessly follow protocol. But then he met Shepard and his view of justice was split down the seam.

Garrus gritted his teeth, his words forced from his scaly lips. "I don't care." The statement was blunt and brutal. "I am your leader now and you will follow my commands." No one moved. "Look at this ship. See it breaking around us? We do not have much time left and the air is quickly leaving this space. If we are to survive, and by the spirits we will, you will have to follow me as your leader. Now," Garrus looked at every person in the room. Some were asari, some human, he even spied a few turians, yet in each pair of eyes he saw the same feeling: fear. "Get this galactic map online."

For a moment no one moved. Then Joker shuffled himself over to an operating console and started to press its buttons. After a few had been pressed in succession he looked to Garrus with determination in his eyes. "Aye, aye Commander." With that people started to move and complete their appointed tasks and Garrus sighed with relief. The first hurtle had been jumped; now he had to organize the ship and find out who was alive.

"Alright sir," said an asari officer. "Temporary power has been enabled to the galactic map. You should be getting a reading of where we are... now." There was a flash of lights and the holo-screen beneath Garrus started to glow, then a quick succession of cuts and zooming in from the Terminus System overlay. Deeper and deeper they drove until they found the system they inhabited.

Garrus nodded. "The Batalla system, near the edge of the Omega Nebula. Thank you." The asari officer nodded and after pressing a few buttons shut off the galactic map. The turian commander watched as the great beaming hologram dissipated in an array of sparks and specks of light. Now all that was illuminating the main foyer were the flickering lights above them. Garrus turned to a turian officer. "How are the ship's energy supplies?"

"Short," explained the turian hoarsely, "we lost a lot of energy from that jump and now the stealth system is draining supplies fast. In fact, our main engine can't generate any more energy due to it being overloaded. On a positive note, it doesn't seem to be destroyed; a few sensors and systems show green on my scans. We need to get someone down there to see though, I can't be certain."

Garrus nodded and sighed greatly. "We will have to check on that after we find out the total number of personnel alive." Garrus whipped to the young human lieutenant again. "I need you to check the conference area. I'm not sure how many personnel are there but I know that a friend of mine, Zaeed Massani, was in there. Can you check up on him?" The human nodded and soon left. The weight of command was growing heavier every second on the turian. He didn't know how much more he could take.

"Sir," stated an asari officer, causing Garrus to whirl around to his left and ask what she had found. "It's not what I found, but what I can't find. The vital scanner system isn't operational and powering it up would drain our energy reserves too quickly. Even then, we can't be sure it will work."

Garrus nodded. "Understood, after we find the state of the people in the conference rooms we will send a small task force down through the engineer shafts to scout out each floor and send all survivors up to this foyer. Here will be our base of operations until we can clear out certain decks and have multiple areas. As well, we should look to see if Doctor Chakwas and her medical crew are still alive, we will need a doctor for those who are injured. For now, though, is anyone here trained in basic first aid?"

A young asari, no more than eighty years old, raised her hand. "I am."

"Your name?" Garrus inquired.

"Helnia T'Gorvani," she replied.

"There is a small medical kit in the room behind that bulkhead back there, Helnia," Garrus pointed to the doors he and Joker had just left from. Already there were too many memories in that small space for him to bear. "Bring it out and start treating the people in here with wounds. I see a few have broken arms and burns." Helnia nodded and rushed off to the bulkheads. They slowly slide open at her arrival, and closed behind her as she entered.

Joker looked up to the turian commander. "I think we need to get rid of all automatic systems, like doors and such. They can be opened manually with at least two people and I don't think we need something like that to waste energy." Garrus nodded and Joker proceeded to press some buttons and shut off the automated systems just after the asari, Helnia, entered back through them.

Garrus gave a great sigh and closed his eyes. Fear was slowly seeping around him as if the walls of the great ship were to enclose and trap him in a small box with no air. Each breath would be laborious in the end and every action would be a struggle. This fear, this fear of asphyxiation creased his brow until his eyes opened again and his breath slowed. _We still have time_, he reassured himself. "You," Garrus pointed to a turian officer and the man nodded. "I want to know how much air we have left in this ship."

The turian nodded and brought up a few screens on his monitor. After a few moments of waiting, he turned around and told Garrus his findings. "We have enough energy in the core to support the air for eighteen hours. After that we will not have sufficient enough energy to support both the air ventilation systems and the force fields. I think that force fields are more a priority; therefore we would have to shut off the air ventilation systems. If my calculations are correct, after those systems are shut down we have three hours until all the air on the ship becomes impossible to breathe." There was an uneasy silence that followed those words. The turian officer shifted his stance, staring at the floor before looking back at his turian commander. "That means we have—"

"Twenty-one hours left of oxygen." Garrus looked to his left and spied the massive hole that led directly into space. Twenty-one hours was not a lot of time, especially in the state that the ship was currently in. It would probably take anywhere from two to five hours just to explore all of the decks, and even then they would have to get people evacuated from those locations. Garrus closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his breathing. "We still have time," he said softly. "We still have time."

* * *

_The ship will lose all oxygen in nineteen hours-... all personnel be advi-d that the ship cannot sust-n life once th- limit has been reached... the nea-st escape pods should be located and - as s- as possible... thank y- for using the Citadel Audio Mainf-me System m- -..._

Liara woke with a start. Her head was flat on the ground, same with her body, and she thought she heard her console steaming. Lifting herself off the floor, she spotted dark blue blood in the place where she was lying. She touched her forehead and lowered her hand to find a thick, sticky liquid on her fingers. It was the same colour as the pool on the floor. _Is that... blood? My blood? Goddess..._ She turned her head and looked around the room from her seated position. The whole room was in tatters. She heard the sounds of battle and had immediately started going through her Shadow Broker database on the ship. There must be a reason for a geth dreadnought to attack, wasn't there? It seemed her search was for nought, because she remembered a beam falling on her head and knocking her unconscious. _Which explains the reason for me being on the floor_, she thought as she saw the beam sticking out from the ceiling. _Now what I need explained is how we survived and what the state of the ship is. _She lifted herself from the floor and leaned on the broken control panel to find her bearings. Liara turned to her left to find the panel in disarray. Wires stuck haphazardly from the holo-pad and the screens were shattered and broken. Glass was everywhere and Liara had to make sure she didn't cut herself.

"Glyph?" She called out. There was no movement or sign of the synthetic VI. "Glyph!" She screamed louder now as thick heat descended from the walls and began to cause her to cough. Despite her cry there was no sign of the VI. She tried her omni-tool, praying that there could be a possibility of the VI still being active. Her unsuccessful tries at operating her broken omni-tool proved that thought futile.

Her head left her wrist as she started to fear her conditions, glancing around the small room. The whole space was nothing to be desired, of course. This was her old loft from when they had assaulted the Reapers around ten years ago. In those days this had also been her temporary Shadow Broker base. It still was, but then again after the attack there wasn't much you could call the room anymore but a wreck. _I wonder how long I can last without contact to my organization? _She wondered to herself. Surprisingly, she found herself chuckling at another thought. _I bet Garrus would have a sly answer to that... wait, Garrus! _She had forgotten about the turian and the rest of the crew. Fear ran through her body. _I've got to find them. With the ship in this state... oh goddess!_

The door to her room was shut and after a few moments of trying to get it to automatically open, she realized the uselessness of it_. I hope that this door doesn't have debris blocking it from opening. That would really ruin my day._ She tried sticking her fingers in the cracks of the door but found there was no use in that, she was not strong enough. Then an idea hit her. The thin, broken beam that had rendered her unconscious hung from the ceiling, untouched save for the scarring of heat from the sparking systems around it. She took a few steps closer, raising her hands to the charred metal. Once she was close enough, she raised one of her fingers to lightly caress it, which then caused her to careened back in pain. It was hot and by the state of her finger, she knew that the metal would burn her skin.

Her eyes darted around the room and found her bed sheets. With lingering eyes towards the door, then to the metal beam, then to her bed, she knew what had to be done. Ducking under loose wires she came to her bed. Her sheets were all in a disarray but finding a suitable blanket was not difficult. It took a few tries to rip the sheet but once a large enough rip had been made she tore the piece in half, one sheet for each of her hands. Walking back to the beam, each hand having wrapped the other in cloth, she was apprehensive. The burn on her finger was still sore, a rough callus as the indication of her plight. _I don't want to do this_, she thought with a grimace. But then the thought of her dying in this sweltering room hit and her fears were reasoned.

She approached the brunt of the beam and clasped her hands around the hot metal. A cry emanated from her lips as her exposed fingers clasped the steaming metallic surface. The cloth on her palms helped but she still felt the heat burning the sheets that were supposed to protect her. A few tugs and the beam slide straight down and collided with the floor. At that sound, she found herself jumping back in fear. Her breath was heavy and her head sweltering in the musty space. Flexing her callused fingers, she pulled the thin beam up and pushed it lengthwise into the crack of the door. The pain in her hands had ceased and she was not sure it was due to the metal cooling or her nerves being damaged beyond repair. It was not a pleasant thought but she was this close now, why abandon her only chance at escape?

It took a few tries but the beam eventually slid into the crack. She manoeuvred her hands to one side and started to pull the beam towards her. The leverage started to move the door open, cracks and creaks of the broken system were her sounds of victory. The metal hot against her torn outfit, her hands burning, and her brow creased with strain. At last the doors slid open and she fell onto her back, the metal beam falling on top of her.

She lay there for a moment, dazed and out of breath. Once the air returned to her lungs she became chiefly aware of the heat on her chest as she flung the beam off of herself. It clattered against the ground bent out of shape and though Liara felt the burns on her body from it, its usefulness was not unjustified.

The asari saw the rips in her outfit and swore. Her chest was charred and burned and wearing such a useless overcoat was pointless, especially in the sweltering temperatures. She threw her coat off into the rubble nearby and started to nurse her burns. She was wearing a thin undershirt and luckily there was no damage done to it. Every part of her was sore and standing up took effort. After she was on her feet, her hand grasping her chest, she slowly started walking towards the door and sneaked through the pried opening she had created.

Outside was no better than what her room looked like. The mess hall had a few bodies lying on the ground. Some bodies moved, some didn't. The glass pane separating the medical bay was shattered and Liara could see Doctor Chakwas moving about in the room, obtaining as much medi-gel as she could. She also saw a few soldiers with her, which put the asari at ease with the state of the crew.

Stepping around the dead, she rushed to medical happy to see some friends who were still alive. "Liara!" Gasped Chakwas as she burst through the doors. The doors did not seem to be pried open like hers had to be. This observation she found curious, yet the worried face of Chakwas broke all her thoughts. "You're injured! Here, come over here, I'll administer some medi-gel—"

"If it's all the same doctor," interrupted Liara with a grimace of pain, "I would rather have the gel go to people who need it more than I. In this state, I think medi-gel is a commodity that should be preserved." Chakwas looked at the packets in her hands and then nodded somberly.

"That doesn't mean I can't give you check-up though," she said as she laid the medi-gel on her table and lead Liara over to a cot. Refusing to lay down, Chakwas had to contend with looking at Liara's burns with her sitting up. "I need you to remove your shirt please." Liara nodded, completely unfazed by her exposition towards the other officers in the room. In reality, they weren't looking at her at all; they were more concerned with their next task.

"What should we do next, Chakwas?" Their leader asked, his hands gripping his rifle nervously. "We still have no word from the main deck or Specter Williams, for that matter."

The doctor looked up from her inspection of Liara's chest and gazed back at them. "Look for more survivors, sergeant. We have a few in here that can be tended to but I'm not sure if there are any more." At that statement Liara noticed the personnel who also filled cots in medical. All but hers were filled with Citadel personnel careening in pain. Liara could understand their suffering, yet also noted the ones who had lost a leg, a hand, or even whole arms. It was a horrific sight. But this was war, was it not? She had gained the ability to stomach this horror a long time ago. "Leave the dead though, we can't help them anymore." The human sergeant nodded and signalled his troops to follow him through the open doors of the medical bay.

Liara turned back to the old human doctor. "How many alive?"

Chakwas was too busy looking at her chest and grimacing to notice the asari's question. "This looks quite sever, Liara. What did you get yourself into..." Her voice trailed off at the sight of the asari's hands. Chakwas gasped as she took off the bed sheets to reveal the horrific scarring. "This needs medi-gel right away. If that's unattended to you may lose your hands—"

"I'm fine, doctor," Liara insisted as the female doctor started to walk over to her pile of medi-gel packets. "I want you to save those packets for personnel who need—"

"I'm not going to stomach all this selfless bravery you have here, Liara," stated Chakwas bluntly as she started to disperse the opaque liquid onto Liara's hands. There was a sharp sensation of pain and despite Liara's cried for her to stop, Chakwas had used a whole packet on the asari's hands and chest. "There you go. There will be minor scarring, but nothing that will be noticeable in a year or so. When we get out of this alive you can thank me." The female doctor started to move away and Liara gritted her teeth in accepting Chakwas' help.

"That should have gone to someone else who needed it," Liara stated darkly as she started to put on her undershirt again. The doctor took no notice. "What about those people on the cots over there? What of them! They need it more than I do—"

"Shut up, Liara!" The bluntness of Chakwas' statement sent Liara back. "They have already had medi-gel to clean up their wounds. I have given them all I can but the rest is up to fate. If you think I will grant favour to one patient or another because of personal affiliation, then rest assured I will not. I am a doctor, first and foremost, and I will heal as many people as I can. That includes you. If I say you need medi-gel you will take the medi-gel. I will deal with the shortage of supplies if it comes to that, understand?" Liara nodded slowly, feeling properly foolish over what had just occurred. Her head was low and her breathing shallow. _So many people dead... I thought I had abandoned this during the Reaper War. I took myself up and locked away all emotion, hid all weakness. Do I need to do that again?_ She looked around her, people laying strewn on the ground in agony. _First Samara, now this... how much more can I take? _She never really knew the meaning of that statement until the next sentence she heard.

"Chakwas, we've got another injured!" Liara's head darted up as a group of soldiers brought in another body. The figure was hard to make out with all the other bodies crowding around it and Liara had to jump off of her cot to allow the body to be rested in place. Only once the commotion had died down and Chakwas started yelling at the soldiers to give her medical supplies did Liara catch sight of who it was.

The faceplate had cracked open and the purple suit had been torn. The three fingered friend tried to move yet was set down by Chakwas, telling her that she would be fine. "You'll be fine, Tali, just rest my dear." The quarian did as she was told and turned her head to see Liara. A soft smile glistened across her face which made the asari's heart break. Under any other circumstances she would have wanted to see the quarian'ss beautiful face. But not under these.

* * *

_The ship will lose all oxygen in eighteen hours-... all personnel be advi-d that the -ip cannot sust-n life once th- lim- has been reached... the nea-st escape pods should be located and - as s- as possible... th-k y- for using the Citad- Audio Mainf-me System m- -..._

Dark: it was so dark.

Fear: it was all that she knew.

Worry: it flooded through her mind and heart.

Understanding: it hit her like the oncoming tide of battle.

Miranda looked around at her surroundings. From what she knew there was a gash in her head and she was in a small space. There were four walls that surrounded her and everything was so close, so very close. There was no light either, nothing to see or hear. There was also no one about. She was alone, so alone.

In that space the perfect female, the one so many had seen as cold and ruthless; unable to show emotion in any aspect, the one who so many had fawned over, so many had hated. In that broken elevator, Miranda cried.

* * *

_The ship will lose all ox-en in fifteen hours-... all pers-nel be advi-d that the -ip can-t sust-n life once th- lim- has been r-ed... the nea-st escape pods s-uld be l-ted and - as s- as pos-ble... th-k y- for u-g the Citad- Audio Mainf-me Syst- m- -..._

"Are you telling me the truth?" Garrus was seated before Liara, sitting down with his head in his hands on the foot of the stairs that lead up to the platform above the once operational galactic map. The third deck had just recently been explored by the team Zaeed had led and already there was a significant dilemma. Chakwas held eleven people who could not be moved in sick bay, one of which was Tali. They could not communicate through open feeds in the com-system, fore it was too badly damaged and the hand-held communication link was extremely weak, only able to operate with people that were one deck below or above. Though Liara appearing before him gave way to a tearful reunion, it also led to an untimely issue.

"I'm sorry, Garrus," started Liara, lowering herself into a squat. The turian could only shake his head, mumbling incoherently. "Zaeed also wanted to make sure he was green lit to explore the fourth floor, the engine room. He thinks that once we are there we can really start working on rebuilding –"

"Just-" Garrus' voice was edged and sharp. After he spoke the first razor pointed word, he calmed himself and looked to Liara through sorrowed eyes. "Just tell me honestly. Will Tali be alright?"

Liara seemed a bit hurt. "You're worried about Tali? Yes she'll be fine, Chakwas was a bit worried but she's in good hands. She will be fine—"

"Will she?" Spat out Garrus as he stood up and straightened himself. "I promised Shepard that she would be safe. I promised him and now she's injured and things are completely out of my control! This whole damn ship is!" Garrus spun about wildly. "This ship is a cage, a broken cage that will eventually kill us. It will strangle us and throw us into the depths of space."

"But we are stronger together." Garrus felt the asari's body against his torn outfit. Her hands rested on his chest, reaching around his waist and hugging him tightly. "We will make it through this, Garrus. I know that. You know that. The Vipers have damaged us, but they haven't taken us out. We are still in the fight –"

"But for how long?" Probed Garrus as he tore himself from her grip. "How long do we have? Last time I check it was fifteen hours. Fifteen hours, Liara! That is... that is nothing in the grand scheme of things!"

The asari wrung her hands together. "You need to sleep—"

"I can't—"

"You won't—"

"I don't need—"

"You do need to—"

"Liara, I am asking you—"

"No, you listen, Garrus!" The severity of her statement brought him around. "I want you to listen to me! Stop this sorry rampage about how we are doomed, because by the goddess we are not doomed! Now, Ashley put you as leader for a reason and I suggest you start acting like a leader, dammit!" The whole room was silent and Garrus felt the eyes of everyone on him. For a moment everything went still, then Garrus swore and started to storm off.

"I want a full report on the state of the engines when Zaeed gets down there. Tell him to leave one sergeant to relay his call through to us on the third floor. As well, I want them to find Grunt and Kasumi! They were last seen in the belly of the ship, deck four, and I want them to be safe! When Chakwas contacts us about the state of the injured, I want to be notified. Until then I will be in here. Continue on with your duties." With that Garrus exited through the open conference room doors. He did not wish anyone to follow him and by his tone he hoped they would get that message. To the edge of the massive room he went, pillars and wires dangling from the ceiling. There was so much anger, hatred, and remorse that flooded through his veins. He just wanted it all to stop, for all the stress to go away. For Tali to be safe, for all of them to be safe. He wasn't a leader... why was he in this position, why was Shepard...!

"Garrus." The turian turned around to find none other than Liara before him, her hands tightly clasped in front of her. He saw the burns that scarred her body as well as the scratches that lined her arms. The under shirt really didn't suit her, but then again, his torn battle suit didn't suit him at all either. But he couldn't get at his armour suit, no one could. The armory in the hanger bay had been completely shredded when the attack hit and no one dared to enter that ruined space. In fact, it would drain too much energy to create a force field large enough to cover the space for even ten seconds, let alone the amount of time a proper unit would need to go down. The thought only caused him greater agony as he turned away from the asari.

"What do you want, Liara?" He asked bitterly.

"You can't run away, Garrus," she said softly, accenting every syllable in her statement. Then, after a pause: "Why are you so afraid?"

Garrus couldn't answer that. He knew that whatever he said would be filled with anger and hate. There would be no logic behind his words, only pure emotion. He waited for Liara's next statement like he always had in the military bunkers on Palaven. He waited for her to interject, to respond with her piece, to elaborate. Yet she did not. Instead he felt her hand wrap around his bicep and tug on him to turn around. He did what she wanted and when he turned he found her face colliding with his, their lips touching and her other hand lightly cupping the right side of his face. They stood there in silence, embellishing the kiss. At last they parted and Garrus looked to Liara's soft smile.

"You can't run," she repeated, this time even softer than before. "You can't just give up now. That is what the Vipers want. They want you broken and beaten, they want us divided. It seems so far that the whole point of the Vipers' attacks is to separate us, to show division in the galactic community. Why give them that satisfaction now, Garrus? Why play into their hand? We are stronger together than we have ever been before. You know what I'm talking about."

Garrus looked to her deeply, his mandibles flickering uncomfortably under her gaze. His hand went to her face, softly touching her cheek to which she grasped his hand with her own. The turian tore his gaze from her and turned to the room around him where pipes were broken and wires hung free. His eyes returned to her and he smiled. "I know what you're talking about. It's just... I feel so hopeless, so lost sometimes..."

Liara removed her hand from his and placed it, instead, on his face. "Don't worry, I'm here. We will make it through this, I promise." The two friends, now beginning to be something more, shared another kiss. The deck outside was bustling with personnel trying to save the ship; the hours were ticking by as the ship continued its slow crawl through the endless space, its hull crying out in pain.

* * *

_The ship - lose all ox-en in thirteen ho-s-... all pers-nel be advi-d that t- -ip can-t sust-n life o-ce th- lim- has been r-ed... the nea-st escape pods s- be l-ted an- - as s- as pos-ble... th-k y- for u-g t- Citad- Audio Mainf-me Syst- - -..._

The thief had to close her eyes when the flickering of the flashlight washed over her body and face. A familiar cry sounded and a rush of boots on metal gave her hope that rescue was come. She was under a beam, it had pinned her into a corner and had slowly started to crush her stomach. Lucky was she, however, that she had not fallen unconscious. Though the last few hours of waiting were unbearable, at least she could manoeuvre the beam so it would not crush her. Her eyes soon grew accustomed to the flashlights moving about and the noise of men heaving the heavy metal off of her was a welcome sound.

At last the beam was lifted and the thief could slip out from under her prison. Hands and shoulders were there to steady her and she needed a few moments to calm herself before she could answer any of the hundred questions being thrown at her. "Firstly," she started, breathing deeply, "a nice question of, 'hey, how are you?' would be most welcome."

The leader of the group, who she finally recognized through squinting eyes, laughed. "I'm glad you retained your sense of humour, Kasumi!"

The thief snorted. "I'm glad to see you still have your gun, Zaeed."

The mercenary shrugged. "The damn thing's broken though, sad really. Could be worse, I could have been stuck under a beam for the last five or so hours."

"You're such a charmer Zaeed, you really are." Kasumi stood up now without any help, stretching her arms and cracking a few joints. "If you don't mind I'd like to know our current situation. Last I heard we were under attack and the hanger was devastated." Zaeed grimaced and looked around. The engine room seemed to be the deck that had taken the most damage. It was really not a good sign. "Well, did we win though? Did we escape? You just can't tell me nothing, Zaeed!"

The mercenary turned around and gave a sigh. "I think I'm not the best person to tell you that, Miss Goto." He pointed to the maintenance shaft they had just entered from. "You can go up there for answers or you can help me look for survivors down here. Your choice."

The thief grimaced and looked around. "Fine, I'll help you as long as I am promised answers later."

Zaeed looked away, his next statement full of sorrow. "My dear, I doubt you'll want to find out what's been going on here." They continued on after that statement, looking through wreckage for personnel who might still be alive. This deck had the least personnel out of all of them so the chances of survival could be increased, or it could be a sentence for their demise.

Kasumi walked with them, motioning towards areas where she knew people were stationed. They found most of the crew still alive, which Zaeed gave thanks to. At last Kasumi lead them to the main reactor. They found Grunt in his usual station, where the Prothean Javik once stayed and where Grunt had once lived. The krogan was just inside the room garnishing weapons ready for the boarding party. He was greatly saddened that there would be no such 'party' as he had been calling it. His joining gave a great boost in morale to the group as they had to cut through the layers of rubble and metal that blocked their way into the main reactor room. As they entered, Kasumi could hear the soft sounds of whimpering and the sight in that room drove her close to tears.

In the corner, pierced straight through by a metal beam, was Gabby. She was still alive and tears were streaming down her face mixing with blood from her mouth to form some sort of horrid paste. Beside her was Kennith, who was nursing her brow and whispering words of comfort to her. Kasumi had seen this couple on countless occasions, in fact her journey to this level of the ship was solely based on the purpose of making sure they were safe. At the sight of this, however, her heart started to break.

Kennith looked to the party, tears in his eyes. "Please..." he spoke in harsh whispers. "Please keep her alive..." Zaeed slowly walked over after asking the group to check the other areas of the engine room and the state of the engine core itself. He kneeled when he approached Gabby, her face long and sullen with the loss of her blood.

"Hello... Z... Zaeed," she said, straining for each breath. The human merc just shook his head.

"Don't speak lov', we'll get you out of here, I promise."

Kasumi couldn't bear the sight before her. She had joked and laughed with the pair, making comments about how they were perfect for each other. And now... now Gabby was there, speared straight through by a beam, slowly dying. _It's just... it's just like Kenji all over again..._

"We need people to help move this thing out of here!" Screamed Zaeed, but he was stopped by the bloody hand of Gabby.

"No... it's... it's alright Zaeed... I... I... I'll be fine." It was true; she would not make it up the shaft to the third deck. It was improbable that she would last much longer at all, yet she was still going through the whole ordeal with her usual optimism, trying her best to remain conscious. Kasumi stood there, unable to move, watching the sad scene unfold.

"Gabby, we need to get you some medical help." His gaze turned to Zaeed, Kennith's face now becoming furious. "Did you bring any medi-gel?" He questioned.

Zaeed shook his head. "We left it with Doctor Chakwas. Even if we did have some, it wouldn't be enough. I mean, look at the damn wound Kennith!"

"Don't say that! She will live, I will keep her alive myself if I have to! Whatever it takes I will keep Gabby alive! Isn't that right..." His voice trailed off at the sight of the female engineer. Her eyelids did not move or flutter and not a single breath came from her lips. Her eyes were fixed on Kennith, one last stare that was as warm and soft as the blood that seeped from her body. The male engineer screamed and started to cry, trying desperately to grab hold of Gabby and hug her. Zaeed had to restrain him from throwing himself into the pool of blood that was spreading under her body. Kennith growled and swore as he tried to get at Gabby, but it was no use. Zaeed was too strong.

"I need two men who can restrain him while we..." Zaeed's orders faded as Kasumi stared breathlessly at the now deceased Gabby. Tears started to slowly fall from her eyes as she could feel nothing but sorrow and pain at the loss of the engineer. All those days of teasing, all those days of companionship and love hit her in a wave of anguish. In that moment of memory and friendship, Kasumi could feel nothing.

* * *

_The ship - lo- all ox-en in twelve ho-s-... all pers-nel be advi-d that t- -ip can- sust-n life o-ce t- lim- has b-n r-ed... the nea-st escape pods s- be l-ted an- - as s- as pos-... th- y—f- u-g t- Citad- Audio M-f-me Syst- - -..._

"Help! Someone! Can anyone hear me?" Miranda was now standing in the elevator, pounding on the walls. She had been in this desolate grey prison for many hours now, waiting for rescue or even an indicator that someone was alive. So long she had waited; up now seeming down, left now right. All direction was meaningless, all logic superfluous. Was she even alive? If she had died, was she in heaven or hell? That question was as meaningless as her whereabouts. She was in limbo, neither in heaven nor hell. So she contented to waiting, waiting and praying.

But as she sat there, other thoughts started to creep into her head. Would she have enough oxygen to survive? That was a silly question; there were a few tears in the elevator's walls so she could last a little longer at least. Another question: did they know she was down here? That one was the most painful. Starvation, thirst. Those were finite questions. They could easily be answered. But this: knowledge? That was as intangible and equally as possible as it was improbable.

It was the waiting that was driving her mad.

It was the ticking of the seconds in her head that made her want to scream.

And scream she did as tears fell down onto the metallic floor.

* * *

_The ship - lo- all ox-en in ten h-s-... all pe- be advi-d that t- - can- s- life - t- lim- h- b- r-ed... - nea- e- -ds s- be l-d an- - as s- as pos-... t- - -r - - Cit- - M- - - -..._

Garrus was surrounded by his comrades in the conference room. Around him were Joker, Liara, Zaeed, Grunt and a few of the officers from the second deck. In one corner of the room sat Kennith beside the thief, Kasumi, who was quietly comforting him. The whole scene was taut and intense. The round of serious questions that begged to be asked began with the turian leader who cleared his throat before starting. "Now, I know we all have been asking how we are going to get out of this—"

"Damn right we have been," interrupted Zaeed, his hands crossed in front of him as he leaned on one leg. "I mean, the ship's dead in the water. How in the hell do you expect it to move?"

A few people sounded their response. Grunt could only shrug and moan, "I just wanted to shoot some damn mercs, that too hard to ask?"

"Alright!" Garrus shouted over the crowd. "Though our situation is dire I must ask you all to remember to stay calm. Our situation will not be helped by bickering and calling each other out on dreams of grandeur. That means no smart comments as well, got it Zaeed?"

The human merc sighed and uncrossed his arms, placing them on the table, insisting he lean on it instead. "Fine, I'll play the game, Vakarian. Now the question I'm asking is what the hell do we know? First off, good news. My team found that approximately seventy-five percent of the crew is still alive. The definition of 'alive' varies to a degree but if you want to specify it, it's up to you. They are still breathing." There were a few nods to this and Garrus asked Zaeed to continue on with his findings. "The engine is still operational from what we found on the fourth deck. It looks beat up as all hell but that's something we might be able to fix. Though our chief engineer," Zaeed pointed a finger to the sorrowed Kennith beside the form of Kasumi as indication, "is too damn sorry for himself to do anything—"

Kasumi threw her head up and yelled out, "Now that is too much! You try losing your damn lover, Zaeed!"

The merc turned his head and glared at the thief. "I have before. You know what I did after? I took a sip of scotch and moved on. I have no need for weaklings who can't stomach death. We are at war, despite whatever the Council says, dammit!" That last comment was stated directly at Garrus who was agitated to say the least on the order of the precedings so far.

"Stand down Zaeed, that goes for you too Kasumi."

Kasumi stood up, openly defying Garrus' words. "But Commander-"

"I gave you an order. You can discuss the morals of it with me after we make it out alive, you got that?"

Kasumi gritted her teeth and sat down in a huff. "Perfectly, Commander."

"Now," Garrus turned back to Zaeed, his mandibles flickering in discontent. "Without sparking another damn argument, can you tell us the state of the medical bay in the ship? How is Chakwas doing with the injured?"

Zaeed snorted, yet continued on all the same. "Doctor Chakwas reported that the medi-gel is now down to half the amount and, considering we have only dealt with casualties from the third and fourth deck, we are stable now. But the injured parties need a continual supply of medi-gel."

"How long until we run out?" Liara asked curiously.

Zaeed sighed and shrugged. "Damned if I knew. I'd say we can last until the ship's air system can't give us anymore juice. Even then, if any new injuries show up we might be pushing it."

"Tali's state?" Interjected Garrus sullenly. Liara looked at him as if to ease his worries but he did not find any strength in her gaze. Zaeed looked confused so Garrus rephrased his question. "Any news on Tali, the quarian who is without her mask on a ship with ventilation systems that are shot?"

Zaeed threw himself from the table. "Look, if I asked after every bastard who I saw, how he or she was, then I'd be up to my eyeballs in shit. I have no clue, Vakarian. No bloody clue."

"Last I heard she was faring poorly," replied the asari nurse, Helnia. "I went down to Chakwas to get some medi-gel when I ran out in the small first aid kit I found. From what I saw she was being placed in the once used AI core room. Apparently Chakwas is trying to get some proper ventilation in that room but can't find the energy for it."

"Then we supply her with the energy," stated Garrus monotone.

"You must be bloody kidding!" Spoke out Zaeed, outraged at the turian's decisions. "You'd probably like to ask the whole damn crew what they need and just sap out our energy resources some more, eh?"

Garrus ignored the yelling merc. He looked to the turian officer who was in charge of energy maintenance. "How badly would it decrease our already dwindling reserves—"

"You can't be fucking serious Garrus—" Zaeed continued to complain. But the harsh eye of the turian commander shut him up entirely.

"Officer?" Probed Garrus again, this time rougher. The turian officer was shaken slightly butt completed the task using the holographic viewing screen on the table they were standing around. It took a few moments and in that time, passionate glares circulated the room. At last the turian looked up from his readings and sighed, obviously discontent.

"Taking into consideration the power need and the fact that modifications would have to be made. It would take out, oh, about two hours off of our time left—"

"That's bullshit! You can't expect—" Zaeed was cut short by Garrus' raised hand and a threatening glare from the turian commander. Zaeed raised his hands slowly, backing off.

"What if it was you, Zaeed? Would you want me to risk losing you for a simple system fix that can be completed in a few—"

Zaeed licked his lips. "This isn't just a 'simple system fix'—"

Garrus flung his head around to the turian officer. "Tell me how long it would take."

The officer completed a few more swipes on the screen below him before his head was raised again. "I'd say thirty minutes, an hour at most if we have two to three men working on it at once. They'd need to be qualified and we need our chief engineer," the turian looked over to the wallowing Kennith nonchalantly, "as a guide to the system. But all in all, it's not impossible."

"It's still a damn hour, Garrus. Worse yet, by the time it's done it would have counted for three in terms of our depleting air supply. You can't expect us to just let you risk all of our lives for one silly little –"

"Would you want me to risk your life if I had a chance—"

"Yes," Zaeed stated bluntly. "Yes, I would want you to save the entire damn crew if it meant my death. I'm not one for sacrifices Garrus, but I'd rather take my chances with Lady Luck than see my crew and I suffocate because of me." Garrus turned away from the defiant stare of the mercenary. "'Cause that's what you are expecting of Tali. You're expecting that she thinks she is worth more than every damn person in this—"

"Get out, Zaeed. I will speak to you about this later." Zaeed started laughing. His hands rested at his waist and as he toured the room with his gaze. No one was laughing with him. "I'm serious, Zaeed." The merc turned his head and scowled. "Get out." The human needed no third order as he took his gun off the table and spat on the ground. He left, slinging the weapon into his holster on his back, his feet thudding angrily across the metallic floor. The room was silent after he had exited.

Liara looked around the table, hopefully wanting someone to speak out before she had to. No one dared challenge the angered turian, so the duty fell onto her shoulders. "Garrus," she started slowly, resting a hand on his shoulder. "This isn't the time to be fighting. We need to be working together, not tearing ourselves apart."

Garrus looked sullenly at her and sighed. "Fine, I'll speak with Zaeed about that after. But right now we need a plan of attack. From what I have heard, the engines seem like a viable route to start a repair. We have about seven hours once the hour has gone by so I suggest we start to pick up the pace. I need as many engineers as I can get working on the engine. As well, all soldiers should start trying to fix up deck four as quickly as possible, make it easier on the engineers who are working there." He looked to the human sergeant who nodded and signalled a few of his men to follow him out the door. "I also need to know if we can pilot the Normandy without the cockpit intact." Garrus looked over to Joker who was idly playing with the small holographic screen before him. The turian cleared his throat, to which the human pilot noticed his glare.

"Right, ummmm piloting? I'm guessing by the way you're looking at me you want to know if I can pilot the ship. Well, in short, yes. In long complex mechanical jib-jab, yes but not that well. I won't be able to make any complex manoeuvres and at best I can shoot us in a general direction towards a nearby system. That is basically the only thing I can do. That's assuming we can even keep the ship in one piece after a jump. Remember that there are so many holes in our hull it rivals Swiss cheese. To even remotely consider making an FTL jump, we need to get our hull polarized. I highly doubt we can do that in a few short hours though."

The turian officer across from Garrus decided to add his two cents as well. "Also, completing the jump will butcher our energy supply. If we completed the jump then we would need to be rescued as soon as possible. I'm not sure we can guarantee that."

Garrus swore aloud as he looked around the table. "So here's our situation, ladies and gentleman. We have, logically, eight hours left once we leave this room. Our ship is dead in the water and the possibility of jumping seems remote. We need a plan." Garrus looked down at the map below and started opening up systems. "The nearest fuel depot under Council control is in a nearby system. Jumping there should be a priority."

"However," Joker interrupted slowly, "jumping is incredibly difficult."

Liara looked down and bit her lip. "I have to agree with Joker here. It would take an awfully big chance and even then, how do we guarantee anyone will help us? It just seems too big of a risk."

"Any other suggestions then?" Probed Garrus to the officers around the table.

Grunt snorted. "We could signal the enemy ship so we can have a real battle! I'd like to show those bastards that they do not mess with Clan Urdnot!"

A few members rolled their eyes at the bravado of the krogan warrior, yet the turian officer who was in charge of energy supplies noticed this comment and spoke on it. "Would it be too risky to send a small, encrypted signal out of this system? We could put it on all Alliance or Council channels, hoping to catch a passing ship. Remember Commander, there was suppose to be a Council ship meeting with us and if it was either damaged or destroyed by the geth dreadnought, that means that they would definitely send out more ships to investigate. Ultimately finding signs of battle, but no Normandy. By now there should be plenty of Alliance and Council vessels coming our way."

"It's still a gamble," uttered Garrus under his breath. "If the dreadnought, that we believe to be controlled by the Vipers, finds the signal we can be sure they will try to decrypt it. We know they are good hackers as well, which would mean triangulating our position would not be too difficult."

"Remember as well," the asari, Helnia, piped in, "that our stealth systems would have to be turned off to give us a better chance at being found. If the Vipers are looking for us we can be sure as all hell that they will find us in an hour, no less."

The turian officer in charge of energy supplies spoke out again. "Though by turning off the stealth systems we would gain about an hour of extra air. But we would have to start about now and I doubt everyone is willing to go through with this plan quite yet."

Liara brought herself back into the conversation after a moment of thought. "What systems are using energy right now? Lighting for one, small panels like this one that need to be operating to allow easier access at systems, Tali's ventilation systems, the air system as well, our stealth systems—"

"It's ok, Doctor T'Soni," the turian officer interrupted. "I already went through all the systems and deemed which ones we needed and which ones we didn't need. I can assure you that our ship is operating on the best perimeters right now."

"Then all that remains is to figure out what the hell we are doing," replied Joker who was now waddling over to the wall. His limp had been causing him some difficulty and the bandaged cut on his head was not helping either.

Kasumi finally joined the group from the back. Her hood was pulled away from her head so everyone could see her face. It was an open act of comfort, especially since years ago she would never have revealed her face to anyone. Now the safety of the crew brought her something different: a family. "Why can't we just plan for both outcomes?" Garrus looked to her curiously but then saw her idea in full, giving a wide smile as recognition. "Turian-boy," the turian officer straightened himself at the nickname, "how long would it take to create the signal?"

The turian officer dialled up some numbers and some system scans for a moment before answering the question. "I'd say a half hour to an hour and a half with the whole second deck crew helping me. We'd need to see what systems the signal would need to be transmitted through and, depending on the state of said system; it could take an extra half hour to an hour after that."

"Would it be safe to say that, by then, the air filtration systems in the AI core would be set up?"

The turian officer thought for a moment, than nodded. "I can assume so. If everything is not too badly damaged and we have the right number of personnel working on it."

Garrus looked suspiciously at the thief. "What are you playing at, Kasumi?"

The thief gave a broad smile. "This." She pointed to the holographic table before her. "Look, by the time the air filtration system is done the transmitter should be operational as well. In that time frame, the fourth deck should be cleared out for the engineers to start working on the engine and we can see how much time it will take to get it working. The ploy is this. By that time we will have seven hours left of air, four until the ventilation system goes kaput. We would send out the signal. That will put pressure on the crew to hurry up with the engine repairs. In those last four or five hours, we wait for a ship to pass by. If nothing comes out of it we take the chance with the nearby system."

Garrus started laughing and clapping his hands. A few officers turned around and were confused by his action, but Garrus only waved it off. "It's a brilliant plan, Kasumi. I'm just... relieved that things are going well so far. But all in all, I think this can work. The whole crew is going to have to be on guard and I need you, Grunt," the krogan straightened at the mention of his name, "to create a small task-force of soldiers. You will be our stand if any raiders try to board the ship or we are found by the dreadnought." The krogan batted his chest and gave a hearty roar in agreement. "Joker, I need you to check out ship systems. Tell our... turian-boy," the turian officer's brow furrowed at the mention of his nickname, which only brought Kasumi a bit of laughter, "whatever you need to make sure that if this ship needs to jump, it can without falling apart."

"Aye, aye, Commander," said Joker with a salute.

"Liara," the asari spun around at the mention of her name, "I need you and a few officers to continue to use this system map and see if you can chart out a good system to jump to, or at least boost our scanning systems to find nearby ships when the signal is set up. Kasumi," the thief stopped her bit of laughter and gave a cheerful smile to Garrus, "if Zaeed won't cooperate I need you to lead the debris removal team on deck four. As well, I need you to get Kennith helping our teams. We will be dead in the water if we don't have him." The Scottish human turned his head slowly at the mention of his name. His eyes looked dead and his face was as white as a ghost's. Kasumi looked back and gave him a warm smile, which seemed to bring some colour back into his cheeks. "I will be going downstairs to check on the injured, see how Chakwas' operation is going. We need as many people as we can for this thing to be pulled off. I have faith, no, confidence that we will succeed." A rousing round of "Aye, aye!" sounded around the room as Garrus straightened himself. The crew was coming together and not a moment too soon.

As people started to disperse, Liara went up to Garrus and rested her hand on his shoulder. He expected to find a loving gaze in her eyes, instead he found fear. "What's the matter, Liara? Aren't you happy? We might actually pull this off."

She shook her head. "It's not that I'm worried about, it's the numbers." Garrus' brow was raised. "We are missing a person, Garrus." The turian commander looked around the room in confusion. "Garrus, Miranda is missing."

It was with those words that Garrus realized the awful truth. It was with those words he could only think one thing: _Shit._

* * *

_The sh- - lo- all ox-en in nine h-s-... all pe- be advi-d that t- - can- s- life - t- lim- h- b- r-ed... - nea- e- -ds s- be l-d - - as - - pos-... t- - -r - - C- - - - - -..._

Everything was dark, hot, and heavy. Time was slowly ticking by and now... in this state, in this lifeless tomb, Miranda accepted her fate. The memories were like a spring flood, unrelenting and all but inevitable. She had built up dams and bridges to stop the water, her memories, from flooding the crops. Yet it was now she realized her life, her crops, had all but withered from the constant suppression of the flood. Now the wood had snapped, the bridges broken and her memories collided in sweat, tears, and agony.

Her sister... how long since she had talked to her sister? It was two days since they last video called. But when was the last time they talked, face to face? That was further back. A year, no two, no four years ago. Why had she been this reproachful? Was she this afraid of contact, human contact? She had told herself for those years that it was all to rebuild Cerberus, to make her father proud. But really it had all been to justify her dealings with the devil. It was all to make her life have meaning. How was that helping her now? The Cerberus funding on the Normandy had not helped it when it was under attack. The credits turned to blood before her eyes and her whole world had shattered there.

Now here she was, the darkness closing in, herself like a trembling kitten and her life but its tears. All she wanted to do was feel its embrace, to feel no more pain or suffering. No more regret. It all came down to regret that hurt the most. Regrets upon regrets. Piles of shit that piled up until it threatened to suffocate her.

She wanted to sleep. She had been running for so long and now... sleep was a kind wish.

Her eyes closed.

Her breath stilled.

Then light burst from the top of the elevator. Her eyes peaked open, her body huddling closer to the corner of the small box she had inhabited. Light burned her eyes, her skin. But it was the light that she had wanted. Then a figure came down on a rope. It was female and human, that much was for sure. It was only when the figure helped Miranda up that she recognize the figure to be none other than Kasumi Goto. "Welcome back Miranda, must have been hell down here, eh?" The thief extended her hand to the weary soldier. Yet Miranda did not take the hand. Instead she latched onto the thief and wept softly. The two females stood there in the elevator, one comforting the other.

"Thank you," was all Miranda could get out. "Thank you." To any on-looker this scene would seem insane. Some called Miranda cold, heartless, impenetrable. But those words held no meaning in that space. Fore there she was but one thing: human.

* * *

_Th- sh- - lo- - ox-en - seven h-s-... all p- - ad- th- t- - can- - life - t- lim- h- - r-ed... - n- e- -d- s- be -d - - - - - p-... - - - - - - - - - - -..._

"How are you feeling, Tali?" The turian's hand fell over her face and caressed her cheek. The quarian female was sitting up in her makeshift cot, her mask now completely removed. Minor scratches lined her face, but they would heal. Garrus was thankful that they had finished the filtration of the room. Though they would still have to finish off the kinks in the system, everything seemed to be operational. Everything was working out. Miranda had been found and, though she was severely shaken, the two hours from her rescue had calmed her and now she was with Liara in the conference room on deck two helping her scout out any possible areas to jump to if need be. As well, the stealth systems had been disengaged and the signal sent out. Everyone was on pins and needles, hoping that the Vipers would not find them or that they wouldn't care to. Garrus decided to take this nervous energy out on something more constructive; seeing how Tali was doing.

"I'm okay, Garrus," she said with a soft smile.

_Damn, she must be really shaken_, thought Garrus with a grimace. _I promised Shepard that I would protect her, that nothing would happen to her. In that battlefield, running towards the beam, I swore to him that I would keep her safe. How am I doing on this promise? _"The air filtration system is working well?" He asked again.

Tali nodded. "It's working out so far. My immune system is severely damaged however and until we can find a suitable mask for me, any contact with anything remotely—" She started to cough hoarsely and cleared her throat after. "In short: it sucks. I want to be outside helping you with the ship—"

"Impossible," interrupted Garrus strongly. "No one would want you to risk your health and safety for the ship. Don't worry, we have a good number of people helping fix the ship. We will get out of this"

Tali giggled. "It's not the ship I'm worried about, you bosh'tet. It's you." Garrus was confused which only caused Tali to shake her long black hair. "You look like you're working yourself sick. Have you even slept in these long hours?" Garrus shook his head. That was definitely a no, there were too many things to do and too few hours to get them done. "See, that's the problem. You're working yourself to death. Here, let me help. I can find a makeshift helmet and—"

"For the last time Tali, no!" Garrus stood up now and sighed deeply. "You have to rest. If anyone else was in your position, I would tell them the same. Trust me; it's the best thing to do for both yourself and the crew." The quarian bit her lip but was contented to stay. _She is right about me working myself to death though_, reasoned the turian. The talk with Zaeed had gone well from a working standpoint. The human merc was willing to help with the ship, but he still strongly disagreed with Garrus' stance on Tali. That disconnect, the driving force of the argument, was what caused Garrus discomfort. As a leader he wanted to keep peace, to let everyone be equal. But in this there was an initial flaw. _Whatever I do I'm going to piss off a few people, _thought Garrus._ I just have to accept that fate._

His mouth was about to open again to speak when the form of Chakwas emerged from the doorway, the sealed doors quickly shutting behind her. The doctor's and the commander's eyes met, causing Garrus to give a quick smile. He spun his head back to the quarian, his eyes soft as he spoke. "I'll take my leave, I suppose. You two have fun now." Tali seemed like she wanted him to stay, yet understood his wish to leave. The turian gave one last quick smile before beginning to exit out of the sterilized room. However, as he passed Chakwas he quietly murmured: "I'll speak with you outside when you are done." The human doctor gave no indication that she had heard the statement, but Garrus knew full well that she had. She also understood the unspoken creed of Tali not knowing about this meeting. Getting her involved in her own health would just... complicate matters and Garrus had had enough of those moments to last him a lifetime.

So he waited outside the closed bulkheads, quietly anticipating the doctor's approach. The turian watched the injured sprawled in their cots, some with grievous wounds and other with minor burns. All were under the wide care of Doctor Chakwas and Garrus knew that they couldn't be in better hands. After a while, the doors slid open and Chakwas came out looking drained and tired. One would say she looked like the walking dead. "Doctor—"

"Let me have a moment," she interrupted with a wave of her hand as she approached her desk. On the desk she laid down her medicine and picked up the glass of Serrice Ice Brandy. She swirled the liquid in the glass, the soft crackle of ice the only sound. At last she downed a large portion of the alcohol and looked down into her glass expectantly. "You know, Garrus... I used to drink and talk with Shepard over Serrice Ice Brandy. Today's our anniversary since our first bottle was opened... a shame that I'm opening it alone..." Her voice trailed off as she lowered the glass to the table, making a lonely 'chink' as it landed on the wood.

"Chakwas, what is the state of Tali?" The human doctor looked to the questioning turian and sighed.

"Not the best, I'm afraid. Her immune system is powerful, I give her that. But the cuts on her body are easily infected and these infections could cause great damage to her nervous system. This ship being so hot and murky from the fires that started on some decks has not helped her situation either." Chakwas picked up her medical kit and began switching tools around. "The filtration system has bought her some time, as well as the medi-gel and stimulants I have been supplying her. She can last until the air goes out, that's for sure. But if we make it out alive, she needs to be placed in a proper sick bay and dealt with in better conditions. I have more than twenty people here who need me as well and I can't bother to focus on one patient. If I did, others would die."

Garrus breathed in sharply and nodded his head. "I see, thank you doctor. I can't think of anyone who I trust more in this situation." Chakwas gave a small hint of a smile, but it was quickly diminished by the rush of a patient entering a catatonic state. The human doctor rushed over to the turian who had lost a limb and started to apply some specific manoeuvres to start the heart of the turian again. Garrus knew that in this panicked room he would find no more answers, only death. So he slowly left, trying to be saddened as the heart of the turian drew its last beat and Chakwas stood over the corpse, weeping into the sheets.

"Garrus," rang in a cheerful Liara over his portable communication device. The turian commander picked up the bulky device and started to talk with her. _Damn, I hate these back up devices sometimes, so inefficient! _Yet it was the best they had and to that Garrus could not complain.

"What's going on?" He asked, walking with a now speedier pace towards the maintenance shaft. "Is there something I should be concerned about?"

Liara started laugh and cheering with delight. "No, no, quite the opposite! On sensors we picked up an Alliance ship that is in a nearby star system. They are close, Garrus, and they might pick up our signal!" There was much joy in her words that Garrus could barely breathe. Was this their salvation? Were they finally going be out of this horrid situation?

The turian strapped the device to a pouch that was wrapped around his chest as he started to climb the ladder to the second deck. There was so much hope in the asari's words, so much belief that there was a new tomorrow where everything would be fine. "How far off are they? Can we boost the signal?"

Liara's breath was coming faster now, in anticipation or worry Garrus could not be sure. "I don't know if we can. We already have it at maximum output and causing it to create a higher signal might overload—"

"I don't care," interrupted Garrus as he climbed the ladder now with more ferocity. "Do what you have to and increase the frequency! I want us to be safe by the time I get up to deck two. We did it Liara, we are finally safe!" The turian turned off his device as he ascended higher, his breath coming faster and his motions becoming quicker and more rapid. At last he reached the second deck and started running towards the main foyer. Once inside, however, he did not see the greeting members of the ship like he thought he would. Instead he saw sorrowed faces and Liara sitting on the stairs with her head in her hands.

Joker had his back to the console, swearing and throwing his fists up in anger. The sound of Garrus' arrival on the bridge caught the crew's notice, yet no one wanted to speak. No one could. The turian looked around the room and caught the expressions of hopelessness, despair and doom. He slowly walked along the floor, gazing at each individual and asked them what had happened. No one answered his question; it seemed rhetorical to them. At last he drew nearer to Liara and squatted down beside her. His hand went to her face and her shoulder, softly stroking her exposed skin. "Liara," he started calmly, "what happened?"

Liara looked from Garrus back to the floor, then back to the turian. "We missed them, Garrus. They flew right by our signal." The news hit him as hard as a rock. It was a massive boulder that had plummeted into a pond sent inevitable ripples of devastation. Garrus could barely breathe. All his hope dashed for, what... nothing? "I'm sorry, Garrus," she said again, her voice wavering. "We are on our own again... we are still in jeopardy." From the hope that the last few minutes had brought him, he felt as if his world was collapsing.

_An old human idiom once said that it's three strikes and you're out_, thought Garrus as his hand was clenched tightly by Liara. _I'm not sure I can last another pitch; let alone the possibility of a third strike._

* * *

_- sh- - lo- - -en - four h-s-... a- p- - a- - t- - - - l- - t- l- h- - -... - n- e- - s- -e - - - - - - -p-... - - - - - - - - - - -..._

Garrus had been spending the last few hours waiting in the captain's cabin on deck one. He lay there in the bed, staring up at the ceiling and the small glass pane that showed the massive expanse just outside the ship. Around him, the cabin had not fared well. The massive fish tank had been destroyed; a beam colliding with the glass had sent all the water onto the floor. Though no fish inhabited the tank, it was still a depressing sight to see. The glass cases that still housed Shepard's collection of model ships was also broken, some ships smashed beyond repair on the soggy floor.

The bed was fine though, if a little rough. Ashley had refused to sleep in Shepard's bed, said that she'd rather have her old room with the crew on deck three. Garrus couldn't argue, of course. He had opted for the same when asked. This whole room seemed like a dead man's. It felt so bizarre and alien to him. So many times Shepard had called him up and the two had shared a drink while talking. The memories in this room were powerful indeed, and painful as well. Now they only had four hours left before they would all die and Garrus just wanted to sleep.

"Commander, there is an emergency. We need you on deck two right now." The voice that came from the communication device across the room sounded urgent and to that the turian commander was greatly worried. He lifted himself off the bed and sped towards the device. There was a loud roar that came from below his feet and Garrus jumped back in fear at the sound of it. The device turned on again. "Garrus, I think we need you to not dilly dally, okay?" Joker's voice had hints of humour throughout, yet its directness told Garrus everything he needed to know. Something was wrong with the ship.

It did not take him long to get down to the second deck. But once he was there, he saw the mass confusion. People were scrambling around trying to get readings, data, anything they could on the problem. Garrus spied Liara by Joker's panel, talking with him feverishly and nervously. This seemed odd from their aloof nature just a few hours earlier. Finding this scene not only curious, but deeply distressing, Garrus started to walk towards Liara and Joker. He did not reach them. Instead, Miranda caught a hold of him when he was in range of her. Her face was bleach white.

"What's going on here?" Questioned Garrus bluntly, realizing the directness of his tone and silently swearing over his commanding nature.

Miranda gave a hollow sigh. "There is a problem. The severity of the problem has yet to be determined but I sent Kasumi down to deck four to see what is going on. I can only relay my communication to deck three but whenever I do, they respond that they cannot get in contact with the device holder on that deck."

Worry sliced a wound deep into his gut. "Why can't you? What's the situation down there?" A pause. "Miranda, what the hell is going on?"

The perfect female took Garrus by the shoulder, leading him towards a panel that was still operational. After going through a few security sections, she entered a blueprint of the engine. It turned into a three dimensional image that swirled around. Instantly the object started to indicate sections of the engine through highlighted colours. There were varying degrees of the colours, from bright green to dark red. "This is a visual representation of the core right now. After trying to push our signal stronger, we have... over estimated the strength of the damaged core. In fact, right now certain sections have gone critical and are threatening to overload."

Garrus' eyes bulged. "Can't you bring up the cooling system, any fail safes?"

Miranda shook her head. "No, those systems were badly damaged in the attack. We are lucky the core is still functional, to be honest. I guess it's the primary reason for our hesitation to use all our energy at once. The stress has been great so far and I'm not sure how much more the core can take."

"How much time do we have?"

"Not long, I'm afraid," said Miranda as she turned around to meet Garrus' eyes. "If the core goes critical, the ship will basically be cut into two by the explosion. After that, certain key systems would be devastated beyond repair, including the air system and all life support. In that case we have estimated that if we did survive the blast and we did bring up the shields quickly enough to retain some air, then we would have an hour left to live."

Garrus' mandibles started to flicker sporadically now. "Would the beacon still be able to emit its signal?"

Miranda's eyes betrayed nothing. "I'm sorry, Garrus. But if this core overloads then we are as good as dead."

This brought a new sense of dread to Garrus as he looked from the diagram to the human female before him. "Then we know our plan, don't we? We will have to stabilize the core manually." Garrus started to move around, meeting up with Liara and Joker. They were about to speak but Garrus silenced them. "I heard about our situation. I know what needs to be done. But what I don't understand is why we can't get any signal from deck four. Shouldn't we be able to communicate with them from deck three?"

Liara shook her head and started running her fingers along the holographic panel. "No, we can't. Joker and I have just run some diagnostics on the situation and the radiation being emitted from the core is blanketing the personnel down there. We can't get any signal in or out."

Garrus swore. "Is it harmful?"

Joker chuckled. "Commander, I think the radiation is the least of our worries."

"Fine then, how long do we have until the core overloads?"

There were more fingers on keys and Garrus waited anxiously for the answer. It was Liara who gave it. "We don't even have an hour..." The words were drained, lost, forgotten. Garrus could only look around helplessly. They could do nothing, could not even send their findings and help the personnel on deck four... Kasumi! At least there was the thief. Maybe, just maybe she could help. Maybe, just maybe, they could pull through this.

* * *

Everything was clouded with a thick murky denseness that Kasumi could only contribute to the heat. Yet as she descended further down the ladder, she found it became stronger. So much stronger that it was becoming difficult to breath. She trudged on however, determined to deliver the message from the deck above. _Though_, she realized with a smirk, _I highly doubt they don't know the situation from what it feels like down here._

At last she reached the floor and steadied herself against the wall before continuing on. It was painful to breath and the heat emanating from the walls did not help her already sweltering headache that had lasted for the last four hours. Walking through what she could only describe as a swamp, she finally reached the main core of the ship. Although she had only been given a diagram of the thing, she never expected the massive sphere to be sparking with electricity and steaming from exhaust. It looked terrifying.

She turned her head to Kennith and Zaeed, both of whom were huddled over a small control panel, coughing away in the thick fog of radiation. Kasumi decided to draw closer and it was only in her closeness that she realize the welts that had started to form on the necks of the two human males. "What's going on here?" She asked, rather stupidly, she might have added.

"What the hell do you think is going on?" Countered Zaeed as he coughed again. "The whole damn engine core is flipping shit and we can't do anything about it!"

"No, there must be something we can do," spoke out Kennith, who was swearing at the allusiveness of the cooling systems he frantically battled with.

Kasumi looked around, keeping a hand to her mouth in an attempt to prevent any more coughing. "Where are all the other engineers?" She asked over the roar of the engine screaming in pain.

Zaeed shook his head. "I got them out; the radiation down here is horrid. It's already starting on us." He indicated the welts that had started to climb his neck. "Kennith really only needed me here to support him." There was another crash of the core stifling with heat and Zaeed swore at that. "I don't know what else we can do if the cooling system's offline!"

The thief's breath came quicker now, the pain in her head pounding and pounding against her skull. "Garrus told me that the core could be turned off manually, or at least fixed in some way as to lower the heat."

Zaeed looked to her and grimaced. "I bet there is, but the radiation in that room is worse than it is out here! It would be suicide to go into there!"

Kennith's head flew up and looked to Zaeed in realization. "I know what has to be done. It's a simple fix too. After the Reaper IFF drive core was installed way back, EDI added a manual system to reboot the core. It's down near the lower section of the core and it essentially vents all the heat and energy out of the core in one giant movement."

Kasumi looked at him, confused. "So it's like a contained overload?"

"More or less," nodded the engineer. "It won't damage the core, it'll at worst take an hour to reboot and even then, we don't need the core to send out or signal, only to jump."

"Wait a second," interrupted Zaeed with a furrowed brow. "This is still a one way trip; the blast would surely kill anyone in this room or the room with the core!"

Kennith looked down and sighed. "I'm afraid it's a one way trip, like Zaeed said."

The merc threw his hands up and started pacing. "I'm sure as hell not going, there's no point to it! I mean, I can't operate a switch properly without it blowing up in my damn face!"

Kasumi looked to the merc, her eyes narrowing. "You are a coward." This statement brought Zaeed spinning around and glaring at the thief. "You're a coward, you heard me right! This operation needs a senior member involved and you instantly throw your hands off it because you are afraid of your personal well being."

Zaeed growled. "Now you listen here—"

"No, I won't. You attack Garrus for saving Tali and then you instantly turn the other way to save your own hide! What happened to you, Zaeed? What happened to the merc who was willing to go to hell and back just for his commander? Has galactic peace been that easy on you?"

"How dare you say that to me? I don't see you lining up to complete the damn sacrifice, now do I? Don't be a damn hypocrite, Kasumi; I thought I knew you better than that."

The two humans started arguing now, fighting over who was a hypocrite and who was not. This fight lasted until Kennith's voice rang out above the others. "I will complete the operation." There was a still silence that followed, the only sound the core screaming under the strain. "I have nothing else to live for... Gabby is dead... Everything... everything has lost all its meaning to me..."

Kasumi's eyes started to water. "Kennith... no, please let me do it—"

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anyone else died for this. I can't sit by and watch another friend, lover, random passerby die when I could have done it myself! I need to face death and sing its song; I need to do this Kasumi. Please. Let me die." There was great weight to every word Kennith spoke, ever line of his syllables were coursed with emotion and pain. This was a man who wanted to die and... who was Kasumi to deny him that right?

"Kennith... I... I..." She wanted to say something, something to make up for all those years of teasing and laughter, but nothing would come out that proved merit. Nothing she could possibly say, possible believe could be worth Kennith's conviction and it drove her mad. Zaeed only saluted the male as he grabbed Kasumi's arm and dragged her out. But the thief wasn't ready to go, she wasn't ready to say goodbye for the last time. So many already killed, so many lives lost for a scrap of bread and she didn't want to see another gone. "Please, we can find another way Kennith. You don't have to die!"

But as tears ran down the engineer's face, he could only utter his last statement. "It's ok Kasumi. God's in his heaven; all is right with the world." With that Zaeed pulled her out of the engineer room and into the hall outside. She squirmed and scratched at the merc, trying to get him to let her go, let her save Kennith. But Zaeed wouldn't budge. At last there was a deafening shriek of energy pulsating through the area and a great burst of heat and water rushing past their faces. Then the horrific scream of Kennith filled the entire area; a long, drawn out scream that lasted for ten seconds, then nothing. There was nothing but the sound of Kasumi softly weeping in the arms of Zaeed.

* * *

_- - - - - - - one -... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -... - - - - - - - - - - - - -... - - - - - - - - - - -..._

And so, during the last hour of air, Garrus sat down on the edge of the steps leading to the once operational galactic map. Leaning on his shoulder, the sleeping Liara. The room was dead. Empty. Void. Joker sat, his back to a console, on the floor. Kasumi sat in the rafters looking down from above, her tears like rain. Zaeed was alone in the conference room, drinking his brandy and garnishing his prized gun, his last drink and dance before the end. Grunt sat at the doors, waiting for the enemy to burst through, not content to having his life ended in such a meagre way. Miranda sat with a picture of her sister in hand, stained in blood, or was it tears? Chakwas sat alone in the infirmary, the dead and the living around her, both being made comfortable for the end. Tali was on her cot, resting, not dead, and dreaming of Shepard.

There was no one on the second deck save Joker, Garrus, Liara, and Kasumi. All had left to their beds either to have some fun or sleep soundly before the end. Garrus remembered Helnia, the asari nurse, saying goodbye before she went off to sleep with an officer she held hands with. Garrus could not advise her against it. Was there hope? Maybe, but it seemed as distant as the stars. "I want you to know that you did your best, Garrus," she said before she left. "That you are the best commander I have ever been placed under." She saluted with a warm smile. "It has been an honour, sir."

Garrus had given a weak nod. "It has, hasn't it?"

There were some who threatened with suicide, others praying to their gods for salvation. Everywhere were the threads of the galaxy, spread thin and open for all to see. The cowards ready to kill themselves, the bastards sleeping away their last hours, the courageous still trying to change their fate, the pious praying diligently. All those beliefs were coming to a climax and Garrus did not want to witness any more of it as the hour drew on. It would only become worse.

Liara shifted her head on his shoulder, her hand resting on his chest. Why hadn't he chosen to spend his last hours with his love? Why was he sitting here, ready to die? Was he waiting to be saved? No, it wasn't that. It was him giving up, accepting that whatever would be, would be. It was the last breath of freedom before the universe took away his life. How would it feel to have his life forcefully taken away? Would it bring fear, or happiness? These questions barred him, caused him to grow agitated. Why couldn't his fate be sealed quicker? Why couldn't it happen sooner rather than later? He hated the constant drawl of waiting.

Liara's eyes opened slowly and Garrus swore to himself. "Did I wake you?" He asked, worried he had damned her to a less than joyous demise.

The asari shook her head. "No, I can't sleep. It was not your fault." The turian nodded softly as the two sat there, waiting and watching. "Are you scared?" She asked after a moment had passed.

Garrus shook his head. "No. What happens, happens. I have accepted that now."

Liara nodded. "I guess I'm just scared for everyone else. I've lived a good life, but them? Some of the officers are so young; they could have such a life ahead of them. It isn't fair, you know?"

"Life isn't fair, Liara," replied Garrus slowly.

The asari shook her head. "No, I don't believe that. I believe life is inevitable. There has to be a point to this all, right? I mean the goddess doesn't just throw it all to chance."

Garrus chuckled. "Are we really going to get into that debate again?"

Liara shrugged. "It was only a thought to pass the time, Garrus. Only a thought." Her face drew closer to his and they were about to share a kiss before a high pitched whine sounded through the console behind them. They both spun around and held their hands to their ears. "What is that?" Asked Liara as she winced from the noise.

Joker was now fully up, operating the console to try and fix the whine. There was a brief moment of static, then a voice that pierced through the grain. "This... SSV... Nova... we... picked..."

Garrus jumped around to face Joker. "Enhance the signal! Boost our communications—"

"I know, I know!" Fired back Joker as his hands danced on the console. Even Kasumi had heard the whine and now left her space in the rafters, walking towards them with a questioning look on her face. "Come on, come on baby, I know you can do it," said Joker as his hands dashed along the keys and he ended his movements with his hand smashing onto the display.

The voice had cleared now, more full and complete. Its words were giving great joy to the group of friends who were listening to it. "This is the SSV Nova Scotia enroute to your position. We picked up your signal and are coming to your aid, SSV Normandy. ETA is in fifteen minutes. Get your crew ready for boarding and the aid of your ship." The transmission continued on the feed and Garrus ordered Joker to play it on all speakers of the ship. It took a few moments, but soon the recording was repeating on all channels so that everyone could hear it. They had made it. The Normandy would be safe.

Garrus and Liara threw themselves onto each other, grappling in a passionate embrace. Around them Kasumi and Joker danced and sang out, laughing and joking with one another. The hope from that voice had brought the crew up from despair. They were safe. "We did it, Garrus," whispered Liara in his ear. "We made it."

Those were the three words Garrus would never forget about the endeavour. The pains, the deaths, the sacrifices, the joys, those feelings would all disappear in the future, but the feeling of Liara against him and those three words overpowered all other emotions.

_We made it._


	21. The Day of Rest

**Chapter 21: The Day of Rest**

_"The sound of the geth's cries haunted me for days and days after. Even with my beloved tight against my body, I could not help but hear the cries. When I talked, my voice would mimic that cry. When I ate, my teeth would chatter as the dying lights had. When I made love, my lover's cries of pleasure turned static and synthetic. I was trapped in a machine, a nightmare, a green and white creation of madness. _

_"A week passed. Then two. Then I realized I had been counting the days, the hours, the seconds of agony. Nothing was the same. It came to pass that our unit had to delve into a civilian metropolis on some planet I have forgotten. Isn't it funny that I can remember the date, April 1__st__, 2184, yet I cannot fathom for the life of me where it happened. I guess we are all machines in the end. All we are; numbers that stack on top of numbers creating the building blocks of our days. I had been stationed on the ship; a recent promotion had granted me a seat with the captain and some of the best military strategists of our time. It was a great honour and often my lover would touch my cheek and tell me that she was proud of me, proud of what I had accomplished. In the end, I was proud that she was happy. That was all that mattered._

_"The mission kicked off smoothly. There was a distress call and parts of the city had been hit by an earthquake. Our team rushed in, scooping up civilians. It was simple; a hit and run, so to speak. We went in from three different entrances and exited from one. But then something happened. One of our transport ships was damaged and had to evacuate. That left only two teams instead of three. That wasn't the problem though. The problem was the earth creaking and screaming against the sky, our teams faced with an impossible decision: get out now and leave a third of the city to die, or risk our lives to save the rest. _

_"I, of course, picked the former option. But my lover did not."_

* * *

It was around this time I had started having dreams. A nightmare, may be a better term for it; only because I woke from this recurring state in a cold sweat.

In the dream I was standing in a white fog. Thick. Opaque. Then there was a flash of light and falling, falling endlessly down through the fog, or clouds, or steam that burned my face and hands. At last I smashed into the ground. It was thick and slick with grease and oil. To my surprise the colour of this liquid was white, translucent in the light. I looked up. Before me stood a hooded figure, wings sprouting from its back causing feathers of light to gracefully fall to the ground. Then, a flaming sword slick with the same grease came from the cloak and the great beast pointed it at me. A flash of light. Now the point was facing him and I was holding the sword. I felt so much rage, so much hate. I despised my hands that were covered in grease, now smelling like blood. I was so filled with vengeance that I pierced the great angel's chest, running it through with my sword. The angel careened back and looked to the sky; a piercing wail of a woman, Geisha, sounded into the air as the hood fell back revealing the perfect female. Black blood jetted out of the stomach. It was a powered spray that burst out into the sky, staining the feathers above black. Her face was melting and her cries sounded louder until the human-like flesh had fallen and all that remained was a thick, metal skull that boiled in its oil.

My eyes would burst open from this dream and I would lay there, panting and slick with sweat and tears. I tasted salt. Pure, dense salt. It burned my tongue and eyes. Then, as I washed my hands in the bathroom sink, I would remember the events of the battle playing before me. With each pat of water against my lids, brightly coloured darkness would appear and the visions of death would surround me. These visions that haunted my mind and twisted my nights caused me to lie awake in terror.

The memory is the same as it is now. We were on the bridge of this... geth dreadnought. There was no specific location of control, but the head of the massive metal beast seemed to be the most logical place to look. There we found a hive network that powered the whole ship; all that was needed was a pilot and crew. In that space of blue and silver light, we descended upon the Normandy. I remember blue light flashing across the right side of Raven's face while white shone across the left. Occasionally, red would flash upon the right side: the flash of the ship taking damage. Then, in the heat of the battle, came the blast. The Normandy was rushing towards us at full speed and with a fire of its lasers, blasted at the head of the dreadnought. Flame and electricity zipped around the room, hitting unexpected people who were flying about from the explosion. In an effort to cool the blast, Raven rushed towards a panel, unaware that it was about to explode. The blast threw him back, setting his body alight and burning the side of his face. That was when Geisha screamed. That is when the memory ceases.

I have been told by many that Geisha took control in that moment. Some say she killed a man to get the crew to listen, others say she wept by Raven's side and begged. Either way, we drifted away from our pursuit of the damaged Council vessel. Raven was more important. Why I was in that room drifts from my memory as well. Sometimes I remember Raven asking me to be beside him, to observe his vengeance. Sometimes I reconcile that Geisha asked me, though that idea is highly unlikely. The most painful thought is that I invited myself, that I brought the sleepless nights and the days of anguish upon my own soul. Whatever the reasoning, it does not hold water in my memory. But Geisha's scream does. It always holds its own weight.

I went to Rhetoric after. The ship was adrift. Damage was being repaired. I sat in her office on her noir leather cot. I refused to lie down. I wanted to sit there and think for myself. No one else could interfere. "Do you know why you keep hearing her voice?" I could not say. It could be anything. "Guilt?" A possibility, though unlikely. I could not possible believe that I was the one who felt the guilt for Raven's demise, how could I have controlled such a thing? "Revenge?" Impossible. Geisha was Raven's, end of story. Rhetoric knew of my obsession with Geisha. It was not hard to tell and I surmised that she would find out eventually. So I told her. It didn't help me like I thought it would. "Fear?" Could it be that? Fear was an unexpected ally, one minute saving your ass and the next causing you to throw your gun down and run. Maybe it was the fear of death, of understanding, of being useless.

But these answers were always "maybe", never concrete or solidified with my knowledge. In the end I did not know who I was, what I wanted, where I was in the universe. I left Rhetoric, unsatisfied by her analysis, feeling drained and alone. I was numb, empty, with a thirst that was unquenchable. I was alone with myself who I did not know. I was a stranger to my own mind.

Thionan tried to help me as well. The turian was eating his amino-dextro enhanced food and really wasn't enjoying it all that much. "You see," he said around disgusted mouthfuls, "maybe it's just some post-traumatic stress or something. You know, that shit phrase your human military coined about people who can't handle warfare." I explained to Thionan that I highly doubted that the phrase was 'shit'. "Isn't it? It's justifying weak individuals. It's placing a warm blanket around their body, whispering that 'you'll be fine, we understand you.' It's a lie Shade, a fucking lie. The military doesn't care. The civilians don't care. Hell, the whores you sleep with don't care either! In the end it's a lie to keep you stable." He looked around and snorted while taking another bite out of his paste. "What we do... it... is unnatural. Our lives are complete contradictions. Trying to justify these contradictions with a phrase that inherently demerits warfare, all the while being used by those who lead these said wars, is completely bullshit. Tell me I am wrong!" I did not wish to enter this argument with Thionan. My eyes left the flickering mandibles and returned to my soup before me. I uttered something about him being right, I don't quite remember it now. Though I do remember what he said after. "Stop trying to be a fucking hero, Shade." He stood up after that and I was alone again in the designated 'mess hall'. Was I trying to be a hero? Did I want to justify what I had seen? The hundreds who died for a leader who was now lying in a bed somewhere on life support? Was he even alive? With the amount of information Syphon, Biasheta, and Geisha told us, we wouldn't be wrong for thinking such things. Maybe Thionan was right. Maybe we were lied to.

My soup became cold and I could not finish it. Leaving the table, I lauded over to the metal doors to exit the room. There was no difficulty in my departure and I walked calmly through the halls, hands deep in my pockets. The thoughts of my morality, my goals and hopes, flashed around my cranium, all colliding then dissipating at the sides. Even when I was around the people who I considered my companions, this feeling remained. This empty–this wholesomely empty feeling.

Prince's station was my next stop. I suppose I considered him to be a person who could take my mind off of myself. He would probably just rant about some new technology or something like that. Maybe all I needed was to get my brain busted, to let someone break my fevered mind. Apparently this was not the case here, for when I walked through Prince's doors I spied the quarian huddled over his bench, calculating percentages and figures on a small computer. I walked up behind him, asked what he was working on and nearly scared the poor quarian half to death. He jumped back a few paces and looked at me with a wide-eyed expression. "Keelah! Don't do that to me." I laughed a bit. You know, laugh is a strong word; it was more like a light brace of air exiting my mouth. Dead air... dead space.

I asked him what he was working on and if there was anything he needed. The quarian just chuckled. "I'm working on the geth again, seeing if I can learn from them at all. I used to be quite the researcher on them a while back." I nodded, I had heard his story before and I hoped I did not have to hear it again. "You know, my family were some of the most important people tasked with the creation of the geth AI." Too late. "Sadly, the geth rebelled. My family was disgraced and my name soiled." The quarian paused. There was the sound of him choking or clearing his throat, I was not sure, before he continued. "Raven's good with that, you know? He rips you off those sins. Your name is the most cursed lineage in your entire life, you can never change who your family is, what they have done. But Raven has given us a chance to be reborn, to cast aside all those sins and make us stronger within a community." Another pause. "Well, it would be like that if he wasn't lying in a bed." I noted this comment and asked the quarian on it. "How do I know? Well, I was asked to check his life support machine and see if he would be fine. As you can tell, Geisha's taken over the entire operation till Raven gets better. She's calling this our 'day of rest'." I noted how overly dramatic that sounded. "Yes, I suppose it is. What I don't understand is why we didn't finish off that damn Council ship. It would have been quick, wouldn't it have?" I did not know. "Now the tracer we put on that qurian female; Tali isn't giving us a signal so we can't possibly know where they are now. Shame, that was a good advantage we had there." It had been, but now it was wasted and there was no time to waste thinking about what could have been, only thinking about what is now.

I wished Prince well and he raised a hand to me. "Take care, Shade," he said before returning to his work. That quarian... the memories just keep coming back when I talk about them all in these intimate moments. Back then, I really didn't care about what was happening. The inward battle against myself raged on, tearing any semblance of concordance into shreds. All around me those people remained and seemed stable, so static in their roles. But I guess all good shadows are stripped away in the light.

After Prince, I wandered a bit, considering his thoughts towards Geisha and Raven. The masked man had been injured, that much I was certain of, but how badly? It must have been a grievous wound if Geisha was as sporadic and illogical as the quarian had claimed. Geisha... the name hurt and gave me wings all at the same time. The thought of seeing her crossed my mind, then left as quickly as it had come. I could not dare to approach her, what would I say? How could I say anything to ease her irrational state? But I found myself walking to the medical section of the great ship and I asked where Raven was. One of the asari medics directed me down the hall and I followed her instructions.

I walked for a long time before spying Finnegan on the wall, a cigarette in his hand and smoke bellowing from his lips. He saw me as well and saw the hurt in my eyes. Expecting some snide comment, I turned away from his gaze and quickened my pace. I wish I had not, for I barely heard his remark. "Take it easy, Shade. We have your back." I was shocked when it registered in my brain, but too foolhardy to turn around and ask Finnegan on it. I just left him there, smoking his cigarette, not even wondering why we were in the medical facility in the first place.

Raven's room was not far off in the great mechanical prison of the ship. Often I would be surprised when I went around the decks. Some halls would be filled with wires and would be almost impossible to move around without getting yourself hanged. In contrast, some halls were completely clean; silvery blue bulkheads over the walls hiding the miles of circuitry that made the ship run. These halls were of the latter quality, the more organic organization and aesthetic that synthetics lacked in their vessels.

Reaching the room was not difficult, but finding Geisha there was. She was sitting on a metal chair positioned to the right of the door. She sat there, hands clasped tightly and head bowed. My footsteps alerted her to my arrival, but she did not acknowledge it. She only watched the floor, her stare completely blank.

I did not know what I could say, what I could do. So I approached her calmly and did not speak; I waited for her to start the conversation. But she didn't. She just sat there, her stare cold and calculating. She looked less and less like an organic as time went by, I'm pretty sure she stopped breathing at one point. The art of conversation was one I could never truly grasp. When to make a joke, when to laugh, smile, nod or frown. It was too complete, too many variables and too much opinion. It was not black and white. But here, standing beside this synthetic female, I tried to ease her worries.

"He will be fine," I started, stronger than I imagined I would have been. "Raven's a fighter, he won't die on us." She didn't speak, just turned her head and stared at me. I was not even sure if she could cry, if she could sob and burst into tears. Synthetics were never supposed to feel anything, regardless of how life-like they were made to be. But watching those eyes, I was sure I was staring into a soul, not just bits of circuitry. "Geisha," I began again, lowering myself into a crouch, "I know you loved him—"

"You really don't understand, do you?" She interrupted brutally. My mouth was open, unsure as what to say.

So I spoke the truth. "No, I really don't." She turned her head away at that but I quickly started speaking to bring her attention back to me. "But that doesn't mean I can't sympathize with you. Losing a lover is difficult, even if it isn't permanent. Many people criticize others as giving into emotion, to being weak and illogical." That statement seemed to cause her to flinch. I guess I hit a nerve. "Then there are others who see it as logical; they believe that emotions should override logic in the times of a crisis."

"Which group do you fall into then?" She got me there, I really didn't know. So I told her that. "Raven and I... we have always had a complex relationship." She turned to me with those waterless eyes, analyzing whether or not to speak to me about these things. I nudged her on, telling her that I was here to listen. She liked that, I think. "Before the end of the Reaper War, I was manufactured on a new line of AIs. I was the newest design; a pleasure robot that satisfied the desires of men and woman of all species while not carrying diseases." She lifted her hand and moved it around in the light. "This hand that I have... is not really made of flesh. I have to eat like any other organic, specifically foods rich with a certain protein that I will not bore you with. As it goes through my system I utilize it to regenerate, causing my skin to become less blemished than prior. In essence, the more the protein, the more perfect I look. But then the war ended and with it came the unexplainable cloud of red light that eradicated all synthetic life. For some reason I... I was spared. I did not know about my sisters, if they (who were made of the same protein as I had been)were saved. All I knew was that I was alive and I hated it.

"In those years after the war I was poor. I would sleep with as many races as I could, for it was in my programming that I should. But these races would take advantage of me, use me and pay me meagerly for my services. Sometimes they would be rough with me, sometimes gentle. The things they did were horrid at times and I would scream out in pain. You see... these proteins are directly linked to my electrical circuits. If my synthetic flesh is damaged then I feel pain: real, horrid agony. I learned this when one customer, who was particularly rough, ripped off some of the skin on my arm. I screamed and cried out. He just looked at my robotic systems underneath and freaked out. He ran away horrified at the realization he was screwing a synthetic woman." Geisha now took to rubbing her arm; her left upper bicep. "That was when I realized I was starving myself of the protein. My skin started to peel and I had to cover up certain parts of my body so I did not detract customers. But their roughness caused more skin to peel and soon my interior openings, my synthetic sexual organs, were all but metal. Now no man would ever dare touch me like they once had. I was diseased, cast out, alone. My face started to peel and some nights I would go off the main streets into alleyways and scream in the rain. On Illium, there was no place in the light where you could not be seen and, as such, I had to enter the darkness to hide my pain.

"It was then that Raven came. I was on the side of the street, wrapped in a flea-ridden blanket when he saw me. He walked over and asked for my services. I was shocked. Usually most people would look at my dirty form and walk the other way. But Raven didn't. He asked for one simple night and that was it; no strings attached. So we went back to his place and I was left alone in his living room. I went into his bathroom and found a small shawl that I ripped apart and placed in my sexual organ to ease the discomfort the man might feel. In the mirror I saw my reflection: torn and worn, completely disgruntled in every way. My programming caused me to hate myself. Love came with beauty and beautywith love. That was all I ever knew. But exiting that washroom completely nude to find Raven laying down food was something I never expect. He greeted me casually, completely unfazed by my nakedness. He asked me to put something on while we had dinner. Sex would wait until later.

"I cannot remember what the food was, only that it was sweet and bitter to the tongue. I filled myself as best I could and started to feel my mechanical systems absorbing the proteins I ate. I did not eat because I was hungry. On the contrary, I do not feel the need for food. I cannot starve. Yet I craved the food to give something back to this man, this mysterious black haired man who gave me nothing but kindness.

"We made love after that and I remembered it being neither forceful nor gentle, but simply satisfying. I could not feel anything and I still do not, but was somewhat pleased with what Raven was feeling over top of me. Afterwards, he lay down behind me and wrapped his arms around, softly snoring into my ear. I could not sleep, did not wish to sleep. I could never sleep and still do not. I never understood the organic need to sleep. Anyway, I always remember the picture I saw on his night stand. It was a female; some black haired girl with short hair underneath a tree. When he woke, I asked him about it. He simply said, 'The sin of man runs deep in the sight of angels.' I didn't know what he meant by that... I still don't." Geisha stood up now and I followed suit. My legs were growing tired of squatting and it was refreshing to feel them stretch. When I looked to her face there were deep grooves that contorted it. I stepped in front of her and rest a hand on her shoulder. To my surprise, she took it.

"Raven was never a lover to me. You've probably heard all the rumours from the mess hall about how I whore to him and give him pleasure. Those sentiments are true. But Raven does not force it upon me. He never asks for me to make love to him, he never questions when I ask him to allow me to. When we first made love, he did not do it to feel pleasure, though that was certainly a part of it. No, he did it for me. My whole life has been sleeping around and making love to others. That's all I have ever known. The only way I can possibly show emotion or gratitude is through sex. Raven is... like my father in many ways. He protects me, looks out for me. I doubt he has ever seen me as his lover; more like his child. And, like any parent would do, allows me to love him in the only way I can." Her hand left mine, but my hand still remained on her shoulder, gently squeezing it comfortingly.

A soft croak came from her throat. "Even now," she said over dry sobs, "I do not know how to repay this kindness you gave me. All I remember is how much of an idiot you were. How much you loved me and now... now you're just standing here and listening. It makes no sense!" She flashed around causing my hand to whip aside. "Do you want to sleep with me? If so then say it. I will gladly give myself to you." I stayed silent. That was not what I wanted. "No? Then what do you want? What can you possibly desire of me: a whore? Fucking is all organics think of and why are you any different? Love is just sex, plain and simple. Why should it be anything more to me? That's always what it has been, giving myself over to some sleazy idiot. And now you just stand here wanting something completely different! Who in the hell do you think you—"

It was then that I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and embraced her. Her sobs turned into full out weeping, yet there was no water that came from her eyes. She cried and cried like a desert, wanting to feel yet feeling nothing but emptiness. I could relate, though I could never understand. We stood there for what seemed like days. In actuality it was only a few minutes. Though we departed and I entered Raven's chamber, leaving her alone, something had clicked there. Even after I found out that Raven would be fine in a few days, I could not shake-off the experience that I had with Geisha.

Nights would continue the way they had where I would have the dream again. The angel would be Gesiha, Raven, Thionan, and sometimes the black haired female who I saw on my first awakening with the Vipers, who I heard about from Geisha, and who I witnessed again on the side table beside Raven's life support system. But then after the dream, I would not wake up. Instead I would witness Geisha crying into my arms and I just holding her in that space.

That was the start of our relationship together. That was also the last day we all had of rest before the storm came and our fates would intertwine. It was the last day to look up and dream of better things.

* * *

**Here ends the undefined act 2 of this story. Now my friends, here is where shit hits the fan.**


	22. A Sweet Song for a Broken Galaxy

**Chapter 22: A Sweet Song for a Broken Galaxy**

"_I was screaming at the monitor, begging them to stop their descent upon the doomed city. But trudge on, they did. All the confidence I had that my beloved would be safe was the crimson life signatures against the bright blue holographic display before me. The steady heart rate that had accompanied them on the trek inside the city was now spiking steadily. As was mine, that I can be assured._

_"I do not remember much of the decent, nor do I remember what the other officers did or said about my tense demeanor. Both I and my love had not kept the relationship private, but neither did display it cockily. In essence, those who did not know of our union found out in that room._

_"The group moved from house to house, asking for a few shuttles to come down from their position to pick up people who were running. I, of course, demanded that these orders be followed and I doubt anyone would cross my maddened rage at that point. This simple game of watch and wait continued until there was only half the sector left._

_"'You've done all you can,' I remember declaring into the receiver. 'I detect multiple seismic activities around your position. You can't stay any longer!' But to my dismay, she did not listen. As the last shuttle that could have possibly been spared waited for her, my beloved rushed towards a nearby building. She was screaming that there were children in there and that their mother was crying in fear. I denied that these children were worth her life. I was right._

_"The creaking ground was breaking underneath the shuttle and they needed to leave. This being my first mission, I was in control. Being in control, I was left with a horrifying conclusion. I had to leave her. There was no way around it. People would die if waited for her. It broke my mind and my heart. How could I save her? The question's answer was even more dreadful than the inception of it: I couldn't. She had to die._

_"I remember her begging me to stop, to wait for her and trust that she could get the children out. She requested that the shuttle be positioned at the top of the building for pick up, that way she had more time. It wasn't a bad idea and I was willing to risk anything for her safety, but sadly the fates had other ideas planned._

_"A crash of rubble sounded over her com and there was a rush of people on my end trying to discover what had caused the noise. It was through my unfortunate discovery that we found out the whole building had collapsed and with it a rogue pieces of concrete had crushed the waiting shuttle flat. Those who were still alive were left to the mercy of the natural elements. But no civilian death amounted to the feeling I received when I found that my lover's life signal had gone blank. Her heart had ceased to beat and with it, so had mine."_

* * *

Walking down the halls of the geth dreadnought, a hand grappled onto my shoulder and pulled me around. I turned, naturally, and found the perpetrator to be Biasheta. Her eyes darted around the hall and once she had deduced that we were alone, she gave me a simple command. "Follow." I nodded at the poorly translated word and followed her through the halls. I was curious about Biasheta, even before I learned her story. Any asari who spoke a dialect that the translator did not pick up had to be of some interest. Then again, I was not someone who sought potential in our company. That was Raven's forte.

Raven. The name sounded less foreign than it had a few days ago; then again, the name was still associated with countless nightmares and dreams that ravaged my mind. Lying awake unable to sleep was now a common practice for me. The dreams of angels and blood still perpetrated my thoughts, yet my actions belonged to another.

Geisha and I had been growing oddly close. If you saw the day after her confession to me however, you would have assumed otherwise. Waking up, I immediately went to Raven's bedside, wanting to see any progress on a day to day scale, but also secretly hoping that Geisha was there. She wasn't. And after a quick chat with the medical supervisor for the gang I decided to look for her. Again, she was nowhere to be found and I spent the rest of the day contemplating my actions. Had she run off, realizing what her confession to me meant on an organic level? Was she afraid of such contact again?

Thionan ceased my worries when I told him my plight. Well, cease really isn't a good word for it. It was more like telling me off. "You've got bigger things to worry about, Shade!" He said after slapping me on the back, his mandibles twitching sporadically. "We are the mediators of justice, a new galactic era! Why are you so transfixed with one female when there are dozen's out there?"

I turned to him and sighed. "Why do you fawn over Zealot so much then?"

The question seemed to jar him as he took his hand off of me and turned his gaze outward. A silence fell between us and before I could possibly apologize for any misinterpreted comment, he spoke again. "We all need stress relievers. Mine is a certain female turian we all know." Thionan was ringing his hands, his gaze glossed over. "The problem with justice is that we never know which side is right when we are on it. We follow whoever seems the most correct. Then again, those ideals can quickly turn and we find ourselves lost without a purpose." The turian's head shook as he looked at me with sorrowed eyes. "I've lost my purpose, Marcus. See to it that you don't lose yours."

We talked again after that moment, but it was never like that. In all my years knowing Thionan, working with him in countless cases, I had never seen him like that. We had never talked about 'purpose' and 'meanings' in life. We just assumed there were none. Now, he was lecturing me. He was asking whether I believed in the sort of things Raven taught. If he had asked me that now, I would have responded, "I don't know" but back then my response was: "I would follow Raven to the ends of the Earth". I was so young back then.

My memories faded back into my head as I entered a small room off to the left side of the hall. Quickly opening it with a few flicks of her finger on the panel, she motioned me to follow. I could not refuse a high ranking officer. Then again, I did not want to refuse.

Inside the room was almost pitch black. A small light was set up in the far corner, spreading thin veils of vision through the fog of darkness. A window was directly counter to the door and before it stood a figure in black, his hands clasped behind his back and his head straight and poignant. Biasheta led me into the room, but asked me to stand a few paces away from the door. She claimed that I should, "wait." I did so, knowing full well how Biasheta got the long scars on her face and body. The miracle of that asari never ceased to amaze me and the crew, but I do not doubt those thin white scars caused some discomfort.

Her feet clattered against the ground in a stead beat, a marching order. At last she went up to the man and whispered in his ear. At that he turned and I found myself facing someone that I knew, but who looked completely different. In my defense, not recognizing Raven was an easy task. I had not seen him for the past three days as he had apparently left his cot and been on a secrete errand, according to our favourite medical expert. I half expected it to be some time to recuperate away from his busy life as a leader. But surprisingly, Geisha was not with him. Instead, she was with me for those days, talking and relaxing.

Raven's appearance was another factor that took me by surprise. The right side of his face was completely covered by a thin black cloth with a metallic sheet around the place where there should have been an eye. His hair, no longer black and short like it had been before, was now a blonde buzz cut that seemed to fit his head oddly well. With these modifications, the man looked less pale and more tanned. But with the absence of long hair, lines of age were more clearly visible.

"You did not expect to see me here?" He asked, a thin smirk resting on his face. "Or did you think I was dead like the other fools that I have to work with daily?" I declared that it was neither. "Neither?" He mimicked, crossing the room with long strides. "I must assume then that my appearance is rather shocking to you." He reached a desk on the left side of the room and pulled out the chair so he could sit on it. "So, it seems I have succeeded." I asked what that was, obviously still fazed by Raven's daunting gaze. "I am no longer the man I once was."

This answer I found extremely curious. Before I could ask what he meant by that however, Biasheta spoke again and this time it was in her dialect. "_Neidak-Yalec_," she started and Raven turned towards her. "_Qwennork seeth dashk tein za zaiëthar_."

The newest incarnation of Raven nodded slowly. "_Gyuk-thari, seeth jekx_." After his dialogue with Biasheta, he turned to me. "There is a reason for you being here, beyond the proof that my disguise works." I nodded slowly, waiting for him to continue.

"You might have wondered why Siphon recently attacked a trading vessel off the planet of Amaranthine in the Horse Head Nebula." Again my head nodded in agreement. The events of that fight were quite a mystery, especially since the weapons used were a mix of simple, newly outfitted Alliance hardware and the tradition geth cannon slugs. What was the most curious aspect however, was that the ship was left intact and the crew butchered by geth, not by our hands. "Now, you, Bisheta, Siphon, Geisha, and I will be taking the damaged vessel to the Citadel." My eyes widened, why were we going into the heart of enemy territory? "The mission will be further explained there, but for right now try to find a nice looking outfit. After all," Raven stood up and walked over to me before putting a hand on my shoulder, "we don't want the Council to think we are slobs, do we?"

* * *

It had been so long since I had walked the halls of the Citadel. It was as if I had awoken from deep hibernation, unprepared for the blinding quality of the light. I was unable to conceive any notion of belonging here, that I was one of these people I passed in the halls. Each person I saw was smiling, at ease, at peace. I was not and I knew that the time for peace had passed in my life. I looked only towards the future.

And what was wrong with that? I had everything I wanted back then. The world was in my palm and I had squeezed it, squeezed it until it made me bleed. I was its master in that gang, I controlled my fate. I was a hero. For once I was a hero on a righteous path. No more was I the medias enemy, the hated of society. I was not the corrupted solider who trudged through hell just for some politicians pockets to be filled. I had love. I had respect. I was the king. But I wasn't, was I? Thinking back to my attitude, I can tell I was lost. One moment I would debate my purpose, my worthiness to the cause I found myself entangled in. The next moment I was on my feet, laughing and spitting in fate's face. I guess the moments I was calmest in were the ones with a gun in my hand. Only then did I know that I controlled life and death. I was in control with that gun in my hand.

_What would Geisha think of me, though?_ The question startled me when it first birthed into my mind and continued to bother as it rooted itself in my bowels. Love had finally reached me; Geisha and I were already starting to move forward in our relationship. The days when I could not find her and did not talk were always short, for the next day we would always meet again and talk for hours, enjoying each other's company.

This conflict of interest, of who I was, what I was, what I was meant to be, drove me mad. Then I walked the halls of the Citadel, my eyes watching my feet clatter upon the metallic floors. My head was filled with questions, filled with worry and satisfaction. I was an enigma and... and I guess I've never lost that mentality.

Soon I found myself in the hospitable ward on the Citadel. I did not remember how I had gotten there, only that Raven had sent me on a trek to clear my head. I remembered him commenting about my aura of unease. "You need to relax, Shade," he said with a pat on my back. "Take a breather. I don't need you at this moment. Biasheta will contact you when the plan is in motion." I wanted to ask why he didn't need me, or for that matter, what he was planning to do in my absence. But I syphoned these questions. Well, I forgot them as best I could until Geisha told me that she was needed when I asked her if she wanted to walk with me. Needed? Needed for what? But these were qualms I knew could not be dealt with. She saw my worry and, quickly before anyone could look, gave a reassuring squeeze of my hand.

I don't know why the memories are so disjointed. From here on, everything seemed to be like a fog. The dreams, Geisha, infiltrating the Citadel, Raven's plans starting to come to fruition. Recalling everything that happened is like looking at a foggy mirror, I know what's behind there but... but... but I can't help but notice everything so clouded!

As I walked through the hospital ward, I noticed the sick and injured. Why did I come here? Maybe to reassure myself that I was not as lifeless as these poor souls. Maybe I just wanted security in being alive. I mean, is that too much to ask nowadays?

The walk of tactile understanding took a different direction however. It was when I looked into the room of a very specific person. Kirrahe. He was here. Memories of the Infinity Unit flooded through me. Kirrahe's grand speeches, his words of support, us driving through the intoxicating fog of Omega, him running through the door as I got shot up on the floor of a warehouse, and him and I meeting again on the battlefield, his gut pierced by a traitor's blade.

Inside, the salarian seemed better. I was glad he was still alive and existing, yet he seemed like he had aged a dozen years. His skin was pale and worn. His eyes sagged and his scales looked damp with sweat. Was he struggling to survive? Then again, who am I to critique salarian biology?

I wanted to talk to him, to see how he was doing. It had been so long since I had seen that salarian. His words to me seemed like another life, so far away yet still a part of me. But then the realization that I was on a covert mission came into vision, I could never see him again. He was one of the few who would recognize me in a place like this. Even with the civilian clothes that I wore and my facial hair grown out into a light beard, I knew that he would recognize me. Kirrahe was like that with his men.

And so with one last turn of my head, I walked away from my former mentor and friend. I didn't need him. I was strong, I was bold, but I was lost. I guess that was just my mindset back then. I just wanted someone to forcefully tell me right from wrong, to tell me for once what path to walk. Then again, life isn't that easy is it?

"Shade." I heard the noise come from my omni-tool and I quickly ducked into a dark corner. No one would spy me here. Once comfortable I opened up a channel and an image of Biasheta appeared before me. I asked what was up. "Raven need you. He want you to be here for the plan." _He want you to be here._ Be there? Did I not have a purpose on this mission? Or was I just the person who would gawk at the plan? Biasheta shouted at me after I got lost in my thoughts and I responded rather rougher than I intended. A growl came from her lips. "You are not my friend." The bluntness, the directness of the comment made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "I would kill you if _Neidak-Yalec _ask. I hate you." Though her speech was poor and I was surprised that the language was not being translated, I still understood the deep hatred she felt. I could only wonder what had caused this hate, yet there was time to find out later.

"I understand, Biasheta," I replied, still shaken by her response. I did not even get a word from her as a reply. She simply grunted and shut off the channel. Shocked, slightly perturbed, and more confused than ever, I moved on. Raven needed me at his side and for what it was worth, I was willing to be useful. Even if my role was to be the recorder of Raven's grand plot.

* * *

It took no more than a few minutes to reach the bottom of the Presidium where Raven wanted me to meet with them. The group was all around the now short haired blonde male who was pointing at the sky. No one had noticed my arrival and I decided to enter in slowly and listen to Raven's speech. "Did you notice how it is never dark on the Citadel?" Most of the group nodded their heads as mine did as well. "It's funny how we as humans think that we are the only species to ever fear the dark. In fact, it's a common trait among all species, sentient or not. We all fear the evils hiding in the dark, all want to shelter our young from them." Raven pushed himself from the railing and turned to face me. At the sight of me, a grin was neatly pressed onto his face. "I guess the chancellors and councillors think that the Citadel is their home and its people are their children. They never want us to find out what is in the dark for ourselves." Geisha found my eyes now and her gaze was quickly averted. I understood the gesture. She was still getting used to someone loving her for who she really was.

Raven walked up beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me around so I could walk with him. "Now Shade, let's find out how afraid our parents are of the dark."

As we walked I noticed Biasheta's constant glare. It was not hidden and I think Raven knew full well the hatred she held towards me. Siphon seemed indifferent to the whole thing though. That drell just walked through life like he could barely breathe. It was as if he did not control his body anymore, like he never slept and never ate. He was a tool for his god and I suspect that was why he was so silent in Raven's presence and was so disciplinary in his absence. He wanted to please his god and so far, he was.

We walked up the long staircases until a few guards noticed us and halted our progress. They were turian and by the way they gripped their rifles, it seemed like they were tense and frigid with fear. Why was that? "What are you doing here—"

"They are with me, Officer Dallius." All eyes turned to the quarian chancellor walking down the stairs. I knew her from the many public speeches she had made after Chancellor Raan stepped down. Though many declared her truly gorgeous, I was not prepared for the stunning beauty in person.

She wore her hair long to her shoulders, the black curls gracefully flowing in the synthetic wind. Her lips were a perfect shape with a gloss that accented her light purple colour perfectly. Her eyes, though glowing, were large enough to attract attention but small enough to not detract from her more... obvious assets. The dress she wore as well was skin tight, yet opened at the bottom so that her legs could move just enough to walk. There were those who claimed the quarians were the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy now that they could be free from their suits, and I would hasten to agree with those claims. I bet many asari hated that fact though. "Mr. Richardson?" She said, directing her question to Raven.

My brow rose ever so slightly as his hand left my shoulder and reached for the quarian chancellor's hand. His lips firmly pressed into the back of her hand and I noticed him inhaling her scent deeply. Was this on purpose? Was it all for show? The guards, especially the one named Dallius, started to grow worry, but at the sight of the blushing quarian before them they were put at moderate ease. "My dearest Chancellor Deliana," he replied after coming up for air from his kiss.

Her three fingers twitched as her cheeks turned to a dark purple. "I assume you are ready to make your acquisition to the Council?" Her voice was deep and silky but held a firm intonation towards everything she stated.

"I am my dear, lead on." Raven extended his arm into a straight ninety degree angle to which the quarian chancellor wrapped her own around. We followed the pair up the stairs, ignoring the questioning stares that the turian guards gave. I thought I heard Dallius mention, "There goes another one" yet I was unsure whether he was referring to Raven or the quarian chancellor.

As we walked through the newly decorated and designed council chambers, I couldn't help but wonder what Raven did to get this audience with the Council. Kirrahe could never get an audience, he would always have to speak his case through a video channel. So why was Raven so special? I guess it had something to do with the enamoured quarian chancellor. Then again, the less I knew about that the better.

Reaching the main room, I saw the complex mixture of architecture. I saw the numerous human religions and structural history etched upon the top of the right wall. Then I saw the quarian history, pre-flotilla and post. Krogan culture, thousands of years hidden under the sands of Tuchanka, finally surfaced in a beautiful collage of cultural diversity. I can admit when beauty surrounds me and I felt myself being moved to tears. Yet I knew what job we had and what our mission was to be. There were no moments of reminiscing here. There was only the mission.

Our ascension towards the circular platform was briefly delayed by the quarian chancellor kissing Raven on the cheek. He responded with a broad grin and by kissing her on the lips passionately before walking up to the circular platform before him. We followed in line behind him and I watched the blushing quarian smirk her way up to the chancellor's platform with the other assembled chancellors. _What kind of spell did he put her under?_

"He allowed her to love him the only way she could." The source of the comment was Geisha who was standing right beside me on the circular platform. I looked to her in confusion and she only shook her head as a reply. "Raven does not love anymore, he only uses it for his own gain or to allow people the satisfaction of pleasing him." A beat. "I know this because he did the same to me." No more words were needed, for now I knew what mission Raven went on before we got here and why he did not need my help.

The circular platform started to quake. Soon the base was rising higher until least we had risen to the same level as the chancellors. The lower councillors below seemed displeased by this action, but as always, refrained from making a comment.

"Good evening," started the asari, Chancellor Firania, with a smile. "Pray tell, for what reason do we deserve the pleasure of having this meeting?" The comment was more directed to the quarian chancellor, as only chancellors can request a direct meeting with the full Council. It was a rule that I had no idea how Raven would get by. Until now, that is.

Raven extended his arms to encompass our entire group. "The pleasure? The pleasure is all ours, I can assure you." There was grumbling from the krogan chancellor, but Raven brushed it off. "Now, the purpose of this meeting requires more careful thought and less pointless, political chatter—"

"Are you insulting us?" Posed the turian chancellor with a grimace and a flicker of his mandibles. "For I can tell you right now that if you dare waste our time—"

"Time is a funny concept to this Council, isn't that right, Chancellor Deliana?" All eyes turned to the quarian chancellor who was still blushing profusely. No action was made to hide her expression, but then again I doubt Raven or her would ever want that to happen.

It seemed the turian chancellor, Vernluk, was cluing in on the deception and was growing steadily angrier. "You dare seduce a chancellor? I will have you know that the quarian people will be heavily disgraced for such an action, as well as any one person affiliated with you or your organization!" My eyes bulged; did he know who we really were? I know our disguises were of a small merchant ship, but could this eagle-eyed turian see through them?

"You are jumping to conclusions, Vernluk," stated the human chancellor bluntly. "Why are we observing our investment before it gives us a price? This group of merchants would not have been brought in by Deliana if they did not have anything of value to share." _Well at least someone is fooled by our disguises_, I thought simply.

The turian crossed his arms and gave a sigh. "My time is precious at that, human." The last word was basically spat out by the chancellor, much to the disapproval of Chancellor Kain and Raven. "I shall not be pleased if it is not used economically."

Chancellor Leven, the massive krogan, nodded in agreement. "I got dinner with a few lovely consorts, I expect that this will not waste my evening?"

Raven turned to the krogan with his charismatic smile. "I trust that the dinner will be well kept by the asari, Chancellor Leven. Don't worry about that."

This put the krogan at ease as the asari chancellor decided to take matters into her own hands and move the conversation along quicker. "So, what is it specifically you wish to speak with us about? Chancellor Deliana here believes that your cause is just, so speak with that same noble goal in mind."

Raven bowed gracefully and when he rose he began to speak. "Now, as I was saying previously about time. Time is an important aspect of our society. Everything runs on time, everything operates on its very fabric. If one second were to skip—"

"Then our whole society would fall apart," finished the turian with a glare, his arms still crossed. "We get your message. Now, tell us how it fits with the overall meeting."

A grin appeared on the blonde human's face. "You see, it's funny that we talk about time as if we hold so much of it. But in actuality, we are running out of it."

This intrigued the asari chancellor as well as some of the councillors below. "How, pray tell, are we running out of time?" She asked slowly and methodically.

"The synthetic beings." A gasp erupted from the onlookers, politicians, and the general upper class that enjoyed their politics with a glass of wine. "The synthetic beings known as the geth have appeared once more. Let me tell you, Chancellor Firania, they are not pleased with how they have been treated. As such they have aligned with another faction that seems to be causing you difficulty, the Vipers." The hands of the turian chancellor slammed on the railing before him as he glared intensely at Raven. His mandibles were twitching furiously and his eyes were wide with wrath.

"How dare you make assumptions here—"

"I am not making any claims that the press has not already made." This comment drove the turian chancellor even deeper into rage. Now he was practically spitting out his insults. "I suggest you deal with your outside sources and those who give information to the press, they have a tendency to say more than they actually mean. Take, for instance, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema." This time the quarian chancellor lost her smug stance and worry started to wash over her like a high wave before the tsunami. "He spoke about the brave quarian and turian courage on Rannoch, how the invaders slipped past defences with a piece of cloaking technology." A grin flashed on Raven's face. "There is no device, is there?"

"Why you little pyjak," growled the krogan chancellor through his teeth.

The asari chancellor saw the burning hostility between the turian, krogan, and even the quarian chancellor brewing, so she decided to end it. "Please, this is a meeting, not a simple rabble. We are civilized beings and we will behave as such." _'Civilized'?_ I gawked. _Who's civilized again, you prothean hording bitch?_

"No, I thought not. As such, my crew and I were on Rannoch. We saw what happened there and believe me, bravery is not a synonym for stupidity." Another growl burst from Chancellor Vernluk's lips. "In fact, while we were hiding the designated bunkers one of my crew members found an... interesting group of information. Didn't you?" Siphon nodded and Raven opened his omni-tool. "I am sending you the confidential messages sent between the head turian science official and the senior quarian bio-engineer. What you see here may well shock you."

The chancellor's and councillor's screens popped up as each read over the text. Minutes drew by as the on-looking members started to grow agitated. What was the big secret? At last the silence was broken by Chancellor Vernluk's response. "How dare you! You fucking little prick—"

"Now, now chancellor. Swearing is not becoming of 'civilized' species—"

The turian flashed towards the asari chancellor in rage. "I want this human fucking arrested on suspicion of treason and heinous crimes against the Council and galactic safety!"

Worry started to crease my brow as I began to wonder if a fight would break out, but the asari chancellor did not accept any of the turian's cries. "Is it more illegal to bring forth evidence to the Council, or is it more illegal to conduct secret AI testing with the quarian's help?" Gasps soon flooded the great room as people started to realize what the messages truly entailed.

The turian growled but it was the quarian chancellor who spoke out. "It was necessary testing. We were trying to observe geth activation codes so we could shut them down—"

"By creating an AI core?" Replied an angry human chancellor with clenched teeth. "There is no reason for these tests to have happened. Now we are to believe that the geth core is in the possession of the rogue syndicate: the Vipers! You know damn well what this means! They have an army, chancellor, a bloody army! This is a toxic situation to say the least." Even the krogan chancellor who was on the turian's side could see the implications of such a political manoeuvre and was now glaring at the turian.

The turian chancellor being attacked from both sides now turned to Raven to loosen his vile tongue. "Why did it take you this long to get us the information? Better yet, why didn't you just send it to someone on Rannoch or a nearby planet?"

The blonde male chuckled as he dug his hands into his pockets. "We all know that taking the information to another official would lead to the data's deletion. This secret alliance needed to be exposed in a manner that no one would have predicted." That sentence was directly fired at the quarian chancellor who was now shrinking back in shame. _Got you cornered now_, I thought with a grin. "As well, the length of the information's delivery was mostly due to our ship being attacked." A few more gasps were released before Raven continued further, stepping a few paces forward to be closer to the Council. "It pains me to tell you this, but your special task force aboard the SSV Normandy has betrayed you."

"Nonsense," stated the turian chancellor who was now a bit calmer. "Commander Vakarian is one of the most distinguished individuals in the turian military—"

"He's also one of the most corruptible. I know you find this evidence shocking and I will admit that I myself was surprised at the attack. Yet if you observe our ship that we docked in the Citadel, there are weapon signatures only found aboard the SSV Normandy as well as geth specific weapons that I doubt many lone pirates use." The asari chancellor opened her panel again and started to type on it. As her panel opened, however, so did Raven's omni-tool. "I asked some C-Sec officers to take these samples to their headquarters to study. Here are some of the samples. I asked for him to give to me so that I could have irrefutable proof."

The asari opened the message and scanned through the readings and reports. It was a few tenuous seconds before his diagnosis came. "The readings match the statements given. Mr. Richardson is correct in his assumptions." Raven bowed and gave a broad smile.

"Hold on," growled the turian chancellor once more. "We had cameras on Rannoch. We should have seen your little gang there if you were truly waiting with the other merchants!" The human and krogan chancellors nodded in agreement. But Raven was one step ahead of them.

"Go on," Raven probed. "See if we were actually there."

With a few flicks of the turian's long scaly fingers, he dashed through copious amounts of footage. At last he came upon the specific date and time and, like Raven had said, the whole merchant group was accounted for in the footage. _So that was why we had some of our men go in and dress up like merchants_, I realized. _It was also why Raven dyed his hair to look like one of our other human members. Buzz cut, blond hair... it all worked together to form irrefutable evidence!_

"I take it that this evidence will suffice?" Asked Raven slowly and politely.

The turian chancellor did not agree to the sentiments. "This... this proves nothing!"

"It proves everything," corrected the asari chancellor slowly and coldly. "It explains why the Normandy has not been able to catch the illusive gang and it also explains how the syndicate could get by all our security and went undetected for so long." The turian chancellor was now spluttering, unable to speak. "You said it yourself last time that Commander Vakarian was in here. We expected results and now we have not even heard from their ship. Does this not prove them guilty?"

Chancellor Vernluk flashed his head around to Chancellor Deliana. "You! Quarian!" The quarian chancellor stood up tall, though she was still embarrassed by the display that was going on before her. "Why did you agree to bring this human in? Especially since he had so much dirt on our secret testing—"

"Vernluk!" Scolded Chancellor Firania, but she was unable to fight back the turian's angry words.

"I want any answer, quarian!"

The chancellor who was being yelled at could only lick her lips in hesitation. "Let her be," said the human chancellor slowly and carefully as to not enrage the turian further. "She's going through a lot, like us all, and yelling won't help."

"The hell it won't!" Fired back the turian chancellor as he stood up rigidly and glared furiously at Raven and our little group.

The asari chancellor saw this and declared, "If you continue this display Verluk, I swear that you will not stand on this platform again!" This caught the turian's attention as his stance eased and his crossed arms became less tense, though the hatred in his eyes did not diminish.

"I got a question," spoke out the krogan chancellor after a moment had passed. "What is the real reason why you are here? If you wanted to make waves, the press would be involved. That doesn't interest you. What do you want? What's the ploy?"

Raven looked to me and flashed that famous grin. In those eyes I saw so much, but there was one thing I saw that sticks with me until this day. _I've got them_, was what I saw coming from Raven's eyes. _I got them by the balls and all I have to do is yank._ And yank he did. "What do I want, chancellors? My ploy? Well it's quite simple," as he said this, his head turned from me to face the chancellors head on. "I want to save our broken galaxy. Let this group and I become your vanguards of justice. We will be the organic race's last line of defence against the synthetic invaders. Our little merchant group was originally a mercenary organization that helped in the Reaper War. I can give your our esteemed record, but I doubt any more proof is required to test my validity." That comment was squarely on the turian's shoulders and he simply brushed it off with a grunt. "Peace made us at ease and caused us to form this simple merchant band. But by no means are we weak! No, we are not! We ride atop this great war and we will be victorious! With us as your true vanguards of justice, we cannot fail!" Silence passed after Raven breathed his last sentence of the speech, everyone hinged on his words, every syllable lapped up by the on looking crowds. At last Raven lowered his outstretched arms and looked to the ground. "Now you must decide, is it worth saving the organic species to trust me, or is it better to see us all die because of the pride of a few ignorant fools?" His eyes left the ground and looked directly at the asari chancellor. "The choice is yours."

I do not remember much of the voting, but I remember one detail that sticks in my mind and never wants to let go. It is the image of Raven standing with us at his side as the votes were shouted out by a hanar diplomat. Each tally was slow and monotonous and I remember us all waiting on each word that came from that big jellyfish. But by the end of the tally there was not a single person who had voted against us being the Council's new special operatives squad.

Not a single fucking one.


	23. Riven

**Chapter 23: Riven**

The days since the Normandy docked at Station Lorek were filled with horrid agitation. Garrus would spend the days wandering the halls and, although the doctors told him to stay in bed, he refused to answer to anyone's suggestions.

Something was wrong. After the tense situation and the Normandy's slow repair, the atmosphere softened and his mind started to question all the events that had led him here. How had the Normandy been attacked? _That's easy, with a geth dreadnought of course._ He mentally slapped himself for his idiocy. _Well then how did they find us?_ This was an equally logical question, one that he had simply found out about after the rescue. Tali had been bugged. _Why had the Normandy been attacked?_ This question was the crux of all his problems. He could never find a solution to it though. He would pace for days and days but find no answer. _What would they gain? I guess we are out of commission and that's one pest destroyed, but they never seemed to attack us and with the information network they could've done that sooner. What do they have to gain by attacking us now?_

Liara had eased his worries somewhat, she had been a wonderful diversion that Garrus needed. On the days he would be swearing or shouting to himself, she would come and calm him. The burns on her hands and body had mostly healed, yet the thick- skinned after effects still told the story of the attack. Often Garrus would tell her that if he had been a better leader, that if he had stuck it to the Council that maybe, just maybe things could have been better. Yet in these moments Liara would put her hand on his mandibles and uttered, "It's not your fault." He would go on to refute that proposition, yet the statement would always been the same. "It's not your fault." It calmed him. It helped bring things into focus. Soon he was telling himself the statement and it was that same statement that helped him find the answer to the burning question that haunted him.

He was standing in front of a window, staring into space. There was a cool breeze that crossed the room from a ventilation shaft. As it blew across his face, Garrus swore that the architect placed it there just to annoy deep thinkers. But annoying architects were the least of his worries. Again, his mind wandered and in doing so it returned to the strenuous topic of his leadership. It would always return to that same topic, only this time it would be different. For Garrus told himself the simple phrase that Liara uttered to him and in doing so created an epiphany. "It's not my fault," Garrus muttered as he gazed out to the glistening gems of the night. "It's not my..." Then it hit. It hit harder than when he first lost Shepard, when he saw Tali screaming about her lover's cold body, when he feared for Liara's life. It struck him in the gut until it winded him. Even though the answer had finally come, it was one that indeed did not bring good news. _The Vipers weren't after the Normandy, they were after the Council. The Normandy was only an obstacle in that path... we were pawns!_

In a flash, Garrus was running down the achromatic halls, each piece of the puzzle falling into place. _Did the Vipers mastermind the raids outside of the Omega Cluster? Was it their plan for us to be caught this far away from sol space?_ It had, indeed, been a coincidence that the station that they were on had no direct communication with the Citadel. Since the end of the Reaper War, the galaxy was slowly being colonized once more. Mass relays were being fixed and sections of the galaxy previously ventured were being opened up again to all species. But in the midst of this reconstruction, communicating was still a problem. At first it had been incredibly hard to deal with. Colonies were lost and businesses shattered. Even now Garrus cursed his fortune that the he could not contact the Council. _Then again_, he considered. _Maybe I don't want them to know about my failure._ But that idea merely caused him to clench his jaw. _No, I have to warn them. I can't let the Vipers twist their minds, even if it means my head on a stake._

Reaching the wing of the hospitable where their company was stationed, Garrus decided to approach Liara first. His movements were slow and his breath heavy. His body still weak from fatigue and injury, he trudged on. Eventually this drive lead him to Liara's room as he flung open the door and appeared before her, Joker, Chakwas, and Tali. All turned to him, each with a look of confusion.

"Garrus?" Questioned Chakwas as the turian captain inhaled heavily and tried to catch his breath. Leaning on Liara's bed, the asari moved her legs to the side of the bed so she could get at Garrus. Her hands started to caress the closest arm to her, but he raised a hand for her to stop. She understood this action, though was slightly hurt by the directness of it.

Tali, though previously reading from a data pad, was worried by Garrus' demeanour. "What's wrong, Garrus?" She asked. Though her face was hidden behind her mask, Garrus surmised that there was great worry imprinted on her face.

Garrus stood to his full height, looking around at some of his closest friends. He knew what he was going to ask of them was crazy, probably barring suicidal. But his gut told him that now was the time for action. For so long they had played the game of cat and mouse, now they needed to strike at the serpents throat and cut off its head. What was the great human myth again? The hydra, a beast which could regenerate new heads when cut off, but instead of one coming forth there would be two. For too long they had been trying to cut off the head, trying to do what the council asked of them, to be cautious, and now the problem had escalated beyond repair. Now was the time to switch tactics.

"I know what the Vipers are planning." The statement was blunt, direct, and an assault on any common decencies.

Joker simply laughed after a silence had fled through the room. "So Garrus, you have a telepathic ability to communicate with the Vipers?" Joker shook his head. "That would have come in handy a few weeks ago." The statement had a humorous intonation, but if anyone else had said it other than Joker, Garrus would've taken it as a direct attack.

Nevertheless, Garrus replied to Joker's quip. "I do have an advantage over the Vipers." This statement caused Joker's brow to rise and the turian quickly remedied that. "But I doubt this asset would have helped us in our attack against the Vipers, and this asset right now has not helped me in my conclusion."

"And that conclusion is?" Questioned Chakwas. The human female had been in mourning for the few crew members who had died under her. This remorse had gone on for a few weeks, causing her to become a recluse. She would often be found staring out the window is sadness and rejecting any support or compassion. Her cold comment was due to the bitter spite she held for the events on the Normandy. _I have to make it up to her_, Garrus realized, yet he knew that the time for such matters would have to wait.

"We need to reach the Citadel and warn the chancellors. I fear that the Vipers plan to target the Citadel next." The atmosphere became tense and the gazes around the room taut. There was no questioning Garrus' logic, they could all see it now. Pieces were falling into place and worry was as thick as the fog that had hid this revelation for so long. "We need to get the Normandy operational and reach the Sol System—"

Joker interrupted with a loud laugh. Eyes turned and threw daggers at his direction, yet he shrugged with his reply. "You're joking, right Garrus? I mean, you saw what the Vipers did, right? The Normandy is barely fit to enter FTL, let alone try and go through a mass relay. You must be joking." Silence as a response. "You're not, are you?"

The turian turned to Liara who was staring up at him in worry. _She probably thinks I'm crazy_, he pondered. "When you saw the Normandy yesterday, how long do you think it would be before it could be flown?"

"You can't be serious!" Shouted Joker through his outlandish chuckle. Standing up and turning at people in the room, he looked for agreement with his response. "Someone tell him that he's crazy. I mean, Garrus you probably still have that concussion—"

"I can ask the station representative. I doubt it couldn't be ready to fly in a few days."

The sound of Joker slapping himself was audible. "I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Throwing himself back into his chair and squirming in it, he crossed his arms. "You can count me out then, I've done enough suicide missions to last me a lifetime."

All eyes returned to the reluctant human. Joker wrestled under their gazes, yet he remained steadfast in his decision. Garrus needed Joker, this mission would be impossible without him. Though Joker had not experienced any physical wounds, (for if any were to strike him, he would have surely died due to his condition) there were deep emotional ones. Ashley's death was still a constant burden on the crew and Garrus knew that it would take many more weeks before those deep wounds would ever begin to scar. Joker was no exception.

But the turian captain had an idea. He started to walk towards the sorrowed human and though Liara gripped his arm to stop him, she realized what he was doing and as such released her grasp. "Joker," Garrus started once he squatted in front of the human, "we need the best damn pilot in the Alliance as our helmsman. I know it's been tough and believe me, I'm not going to lie and say it will get easier. But the galaxy is counting on us. This time it won't be a suicide mission, I'll be damned if that happens again." With that the turian outstretched his hand and looked to the pilot with a compassionate gaze. "We need you Joker, but more importantly, the Normandy needs you." Tears started to form around the eyelids of Joker as Garrus saw the memories of EDI and the time they had spent together flash before his eyes. The pilot had lost one of the things that had kept his world spinning. He was like Tali, a walking corpse that only ran on the emotions of their past lover. Now, more than anything, they needed unity and Garrus knew that wish could never be achieved without Joker's help.

After a moment, Joker's hand fell upon the turian's and Garrus brought him into an embrace. The human did not deny the hug and the two remained in that space, comforted by each others support. At last Garrus retreated and stood up, helping Joker stand as well.

The pilot looked around the room and wiped his eyes. After a pause, he smirked. "I couldn't deny that sad turian eye, that's it." A few laughs were let forth from the nervous tension that once had inhabited the room as all members started to move out of the room. Joker was still smiling and joking with Chakwas helping him out. "I guess another good reason is that you guys would be screwed without me! I mean, who the hell could pilot my baby better than me...?" The voice of Joker faded as the group started to exit the room, but Garrus was drawn back in by the data pad that rested on the cot Tali had recovered in. Slowly Garrus approached the device, curiosity driving his every action. That was until he read the headline of the article Tali was reading. _Is Lazarus Walking Again: Cerberus' Lazarus Experiment Opened to the Public!_

With a sigh Garrus exited the article and turned off the data pad as he walked out of the room to join his friends. Though they would all lie and say that this new universe was brimming with opportunity for the universe, in the end they were all trapped in the past, trapped in the days when life was easy and Shepard was their leader. _I guess therein lies the problem_, Garrus realized as he exited the room that he left stygian.

* * *

The crew had mostly been in agreement over Garrus' course of action. In the end, the highlight of the conversation had been Grunt's cry at the idea of fighting the Vipers again. "Finally! A chance to redeem our lost honour!" He looked to Garrus and slapped his back. "And I thought you were growing soft on me, turian! Heh, I was wrong indeed!" Though tensions were high and everyone was still bothered over the deaths in the Normandy, Garrus saw a great anticipation for the oncoming battle. They had been beaten thrice and now it was their time to fight back. Excitement reached every crevice of the station as preparations began for the crew. Everyone had started getting ready at the announcement, except Kasumi. She, like Joker, Chakwas, and himself had been in a constant static gaze out of the window. Deep space held its comforts and to the lost souls of the Normandy, it was their only friend.

Garrus remembered asking Kasumi about it as the crew was preparing. When he walked over, he distinctly saw the bright light of her grey box shining on her face. His hand resting on her shoulder alerted her of his presence and immediately the holographic world of pictures and memories flashed from her eyes. Twisting away from his hand she stared up at him with red, watery eyes. "Yes?" She asked weakly, turning away from the turian's warm gaze.

"I wanted to see how you were doing. You need anything before we go?" All that was stopping them now was the Normandy itself and Garrus wanted his crew in peak condition when they returned to the Sol System.

Kasumi was the furthest thing from peak condition. Her body was shrunken and her stance lowered. The thief was grieving, not only for the past but also for the friends she had lost. "You know what dead souls on your back feel like... right?" Garrus smirked and returned his hand to her shoulder and squeezed. Sidonis was a memory he had buried forever, the events leading up to his final betrayal had broken him, made him into something he never wanted to be. Did he know what it felt like to feel responsible for a friend's death? It would stupid to answer no. So he didn't.

Kasumi nodded her head and sighed. "Is there any way... you know, to ease the pain?" Her voice cracked halfway through that sentence and Garrus could sense the long hours Kasumi must have been brooding over these worries.

The turian thought for a moment and then responded, "You have to move on. I know it's difficult and what I'm saying is entirely hypocritical because, damn I still do it too, but you have to realize it's not your fault." Kasumi looked to Garrus with a broken gaze. "The real enemy is not in this room, but out there." He pointed to the stars as he continued to speak. "Out there is the enemy, we can't keep dwelling on 'what if'. We have to focus on 'what now'. How do I avenge my fallen comrades? How will I live my life so their memory is respected? These are the questions you should be asking, not 'What if I had done something differently?'."

The human thief, her hood off and her full face open to Garrus, took her hand and squeezed his on her shoulder. "The same to you too Garrus, it's not your fault." With that Kasumi left a bewildered turian and, as he turned and followed her with his gazed, Garrus spotted Liara softly smiling at him, obviously overhearing the entire conversation. _Damn, I bet she's really pleased with herself, isn't she?_ But in the end Garrus could only chuckle to himself. _Who am I kidding? Liara has done more for me then I'll ever know_.

With that, the day passed uneventfully. The crew of the Normandy packed their bags and set off again into the dark abyss of the galaxy. Out there, hope was present, out there they had a job to do, and out there Garrus would be damned if they would lose again to the Vipers.

The engineers remarked that the status of the Normandy was ready a few days after the crew had packed their bags and readied their equipment. Garrus remembered the engineer warning that, "She won't hold in an intense fire fight, but she will hold in a mass relay." That was the only information he needed, they weren't going to enter a fight, that was for sure.

So, with the crew ready and packed, they entered back into the ship. The dark halls were brought to life again by a new set of lights and the holes in the hull patched over by metal. Such memories of pain and suffering were eliminated by a fierce determination that was set on by Garrus' lead. It was official when Joker entered into the cockpit, closed his eyes and started to flash his fingers across the console as the familiar orange glow washed over him. "Ready Joker?" The pilot turned to his commander and chuckled.

"'Ready?' Really, Garrus? Please, I've been born ready!" With that, a stream of screens erupted across the glow and the familiar roar of the engines pulsed through the ship once again. Though the bridge was far from repair and the two monitors that bordered the main command terminal were not operation, there was a comfort seeing Joker's dizzying speed and talent at the craft. Soon the ship was leaving the station and the familiar face of the SSV Nova Scotia's commander opened on screen.

"It will be sad to see you go, Captain Vakarian, but know that the entire Alliance military salutes you for your service." A hand jolted to the commander's forehead and a broad smile filled his face. "Tell those preppy Citadel folk a thing or two about us, you hear solider?"

Garrus returned the salute with a smile. "Anytime commander, we thank you for your help in the recent events."

The commander scoffed. "We should be in debt to you captain. It is not every day you see such proud men and woman going to battle for the good of the galaxy. You should be proud of what you're doing."

The turian glanced down at the human below him, who was patiently waiting for the order to start. He never noticed Garrus' gaze, yet Garrus didn't doubt he knew that his commander was staring at him. "We are commander, we are." With that Garrus slapped Joker's shoulder lightly and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Take her away Joker, we have a job to do."

With an ecstatic response, Joker replied his traditional "aye, aye!" and soon the ship was in movement towards the nearest mass relay. With a great jolt the ship threw itself into its FTL drive. They were in movement again and Garrus knew that nothing could stop them.

Those memories were a few days old and now were resurfacing as they approached the Citadel. In the past days since the Normandy's revival, Garrus had spent them contemplating what to say to the council. Often Liara would be there with him in the room, discussing various speeches he had prepared and giving her insight on each. Though these were not the only things they did in Garrus' quarters, motions and actions that Garrus wouldn't dare speak about to anyone. His private life was exactly that: private and nothing pleased him more to know there were no prying eyes in his personal motivations.

Some long hours he would call down Tali to speak with her and see how she was doing. Indeed, the attack had taken a toll on her not only mentally but physically. Her reaction was quite severe but she still retained her giddy and smiling personality. Though outwardly she was happy and joyous, Garrus knew that in the long nights she would be upstairs in Shepard's cabin. That was one room that had not been repaired to any efficiency yet she still remained up there against Garrus' orders. _Old habits die hard_, Garrus assumed, though he could not shake the feeling that Tali's emotions would eventually be toxic to her well being. _Does she really believe Shepard will make it through? He's been unconscious for ten years, that's a long time to wait for the dead to rise again._ Garrus knew though, that if he ever uttered such statements to her face that she would slap him right there. There was no arguing with her, she was steadfast in her love and to some extent, Garrus was envious.

"Captain, C-Sec patching through the com." Garrus shook his head from the past memories and stared at Joker, the person who released the comment. A curious gaze was all Joker needed to repeat his sentence and his obvious question. "I'm getting a com signal from C-Sec; they want to speak with us. Patch them through?"

Garrus nodded his head. Instantly a voice rang through the cockpit of the Normandy. Its pitch was high and friendly. Not even a second went by before the voice began chattering. "Good morning and welcome to the Citadel! Do you have any important business here, SSV Normandy?"

Looking back and forth from the panel to each other, the two males in the room could not help but laugh at the overly energetic display. Nevertheless, Garrus spoke on. "Yes, we are interested in speaking with the Council. It is a matter that requires their utmost attention."

There was a pause after he said it and from the other end of the com, it sounded as if the female had left or at least muted the frequency. All he received back from his reply was dead air. At last a voice broke through the feed and the warm welcoming female spoke again. "Oh, that is wonderful. C-Sec officers will meet you near the entrance to the elevator." Curiously, the voice sounded a bit more monotone, less excited. This was strange to Garrus but still warmly thanked her as she gave them their docking section and access code.

The com was instantly shut off as Joker started to bring the ship round to dock; all the while he was chuckling. "I take it that the chick we just heard was the Council's newest attempt to increase diversity and extend peace." Garrus smirked in response to the pilot's quip, though he didn't agree. Though the attempts of the Council could appear laughable, they were still dedicated to maintaining peace in the galaxy. That at least was a noble goal with groups like the Vipers running about.

Opening the hatch on the ship, Garrus found himself walking through corridors of the lightly lit Citadel. There was a certain fragrance through the air that seemed to be of roses._ I guess Joker might be right_, chuckled Garrus as he saw the pristine and lovingly kept sanitation of the halls and greater facility. _I wonder what Liara would say about this_. Garrus pondered that thought and his decision to leave his crew back in the ship. Was it for safety? Possibly. I could just be that he wanted no loose cannons._ I tangled with the Council before and from what I've seen, more people present make the situation only more chaotic. _

A few more doors opened before he came to the C-Sec checkpoint. The warehouse section of the Citadel had been refit since the end of the war to be a more recreational and peaceful setting. A lounge was set up where the refugee sections used to be and Garrus noticed a distinct increase of help desks scattered throughout the floor. However, one thing that had not changed was the pictures of lost loves and friends who had died in the Reaper War. It was simply a mish-mash conglomeration of pictures, poems, and antiquities of friends and lovers passed or forgotten. To a tourist, the display was a blatant juxtaposition of the clean halls around it, creating a seemingly contradictory atmosphere. However, to those who had experienced war first hand on the Citadel and on other planets, the area was a sanctuary. There was once a debate on whether they should relocate the area after the end of the war. Yet the overwhelming response to such claims was simply: "No." At that point, the Council did not want to step on any toes and gave the area to the people. They made it out to be a gracious act, how they were honouring those who had died and those who had been caught in such a ruthless conflict. In actuality, it was just a basic example of them trying to cover their asses.

A few steps towards the C-Sec checkpoint and Garrus instantly knew something was wrong. It was not only the distinct lack of civilians in the area that concerned him, or the fact that he got strange stares from the people at the front desk as he entered into the storage area but the fact that the guards held their guns tightly to their bodies. Some part of him told him to run, to get away, but he never listened to that voice. He thought he was safe.

"Garrus Vakarian!" Shouted a familiar voice as Garrus spied Captain Bailey walking out with three guards on either side. Though his stance was open and a smile broad on his face, Garrus knew instantly something was wrong.

"Do not take this offensively, sir," said Garrus as he eyed the guards flexing their fingers around their guns, "but why are there guards here for our meeting?"

Bailey seemed to lick his lips and stutter. It was then Garrus knew something was wrong. Horribly wrong. "Listen, Garrus—"

A hand was extended yet Garrus swatted it away. In a flash the assault rifles that were once pointing at the floor were raised towards his head. A grimace was all Garrus needed to convince Bailey of his displeasure. But it wasn't toward the captain; instead it was towards the Council. "They say I'm a terrorist, don't they?" Spat Garrus as his mandibles twitched in rage.

Bailey rubbed his head with a hand as he gritted his teeth together. "Look, I'm not the one who's giving the orders here. I'm sorry Garrus but there's nothing I can do—"

"You can start by thinking for yourself!" The comment was quite brutal and later Garrus would debate on whether it was unnecessary for the assault to be so painful, yet the statement did the trick as Bailey started to doubt. "You've known me for how many years! Long before Shepard came into the equation I was here serving you with my damn life! Now you treat me like this?"

"Listen, Garrus—"

"Shut up, captain. Lies are not becoming of officers."

Bailey turned away and winced at the comment, yet his gaze quickly shifted back to Garrus. "You'd do the same in my position, Garrus. Please don't lie about that."

The turian captain growled. "I'd use my head, captain. It's the same reason Saren was brought to justice, the same reason why Omega's crime diminished, the same reason why human colonies were saved, the same reason why Earth was saved, and the same damn reason why I know injustice is happening here right now!" Garrus soon found himself cornered by guards who had come in from the back and that caused him to growl further. "I don't even know you anymore, Bailey. I guess that is what hurts the most."

Soldiers started to restrain Garrus and pull out his weapons from his armour. A salarian operative came up beside him and smirked. Garrus wanted badly to slap that smirk off, but he could not move his restrained arms so instead he spat to the floor. That action granted him a slap to the face by the salarian. Blue blood trickled from his cut lip as the salarian's pistol was rammed under his chin, causing him to look up. "You bastard helped the Vipers take my son away. He joined your 'team' to gain technical superiority, advancements in society, and to get his trigger finger pleased." The gun retracted roughly, which caused Garrus to sigh audibly as his gaze bobbed back to the floor. "You make me sick."

So that was it. The Normandy was being framed for working with the Vipers. That was their ploy and it had worked. _Dammit, it worked!_ Garrus' eyes returned to Bailey who seemed overwhelmed by the brutality of his officers. Through a clenched jaw, Garrus spoke. "If you have any compassion, release me. Help me!" Bailey turned his head away and looked to what seemed to be his turian second in command. Garrus couldn't take being ignored by someone he respected and trusted. Squirming against the restraining guards Garrus shouted at the human. "You coward! Don't you see what the Vipers have done!? They are turning us against each other! You don't need to worry about me, but the people who have already infiltrated into your society! Help me your coward—" The butt of the rifle smashed against Garrus' face and sent him careening over from the blow. Guards who had restrained him now let him fall to the floor. It was not long before a few of them started kicking him.

"Stop this!" Shouted Bailey as he picked up the battered turian off the floor,

The turian C-Sec officer looked to the human now. "Who's going to take him to the containment field?"

Bailey licked his lips and replied simply, "I am."A few guards laughed and joked about how Garrus would be receiving the "right hand of the law" but Bailey shut them up quickly. _At least he still has some sense of justice_, thought Garrus defeated. What would he do now? The Normandy was a sitting duck in the dock. The battle was lost before it had even begun.

"The Normandy?" Questioned the turian officer further.

"The magnetic clamps are holding it in place. Only a high EMP burst of 145,567.6 joules around the ship in a field could possibly release it." _Wait... what? _"And I doubt the Normandy could do that, well, unless they sent it in three short bursts to fry system." _Was Bailey...?_ Garrus gave a grin. _That sly bastard._

"You need help with the prisoner?"

Bailey shook his head. "I'll be fine," he said as he walked Garrus through the barrier. Under his breath, he spoke directly to Garrus. "I'm going to throw up a barrier here, I'm also giving you a gun." A hard metallic pistol was set into the turian's hands. "I'll also quickly give you a way through the C-Sec offices to reach the docking platform where the Normandy is through my omni-tool."

"What about you?" Asked Garrus but was shut up by Bailey.

"Don't worry about me, just save the damn universe again, got it?"

Garrus softly chuckled. "I got it, old friend."

"Make me proud." With that Bailey flashed his omni-tool and brought up the barrier. Weapons were drawn upon it as Bailey stood behind barrier that was between the escaping turian and his C-Sec officers. They swore and yelled at him, called him traitor and murderer yet Bailey hummed to himself as he input the codes and route Garrus was to follow. "Make me proud, Garrus. Go save your galaxy." Codes in place, Garrus fleeing, Bailey raised his hands and closed his eyes. "What are you waiting for, boys? Take me to your leader!"

* * *

"Joker! Come in, Joker!" The com was experiencing interference yet the sly intonation of the human pilot managed to weasel its way through the static.

"Garrus, what's going on? An alarm has been set off and the Normandy is stuck in dock!"

"Can't explain right now, just get this message to Tali," he explained as he brought up Bailey's instructions. "Okay, she in the console room now?"

"Yup she's in here. Can you tell me what's going on, Garrus?"

Before he could speak bullets started to ring through the air and slam into the panes of glass to his right. Guards were now popping out from tables and desks that had been positioned as make-shift cover. Cursing, Garrus unloaded a full clip as he ran down the hall, firing mostly warning shots to keep the guards under their cover and thus keeping them from shooting him. Once or twice a bullet hit a soldier and the crack of his shield breaking would shivers down Garrus' spine. _I can't hit them, we are on the same team after all._

"Garrus? You okay?"

Garrus grunted into his com, "Ya, I'm fine. Tell Tali to send an EMP burst along the hull of the ship at these measurements." He input the codes with the hand the held his gun. Turning the corner and firing a few more shots, he sped off again. "She needs to send the burst three times, a three second pause between each to disable the computers and allow the Normandy to fly out—"

"But what about you?" Asked Tali through the com. _That's a good question_, considered Garrus while more bullets flew past him in the deadly game of 'pin the bullet on the turian'.

Checking his omni-tool of the route Bailey gave him, he found a large window that he would be passing on his way back to the dock where the Normandy was stationed. _It would be quite the jump, but..._ "Garrus, what's the plan? We just broke free of the dock and security seems pretty pissed!" Joker's statement coincided with the lights around Garrus flickering as the power started to flicker through the entire floor.

_Well, here goes nothing_. "I'm going to jump out of a window and I expect you to be there!" No one questioned the logic, there wasn't any time to. Bullets continued to rain upon him and Garrus had to duck behind a wall and fire a few shots towards the guards to scare them off. "Stay outside these coordinates and make sure the damn door is open!" Again there was no snarky response from Joker, only an "aye, aye!" as the com was terminated. The sound of Joker's voice was comforting as Garrus opened his helmet onto his head. _Thank the spirits for recent technology that allows helmets to be part of your armor,_ Garrus thanked. At that, Garrus started running again.

Questions flew through his mind. How did the Vipers convince the Council? Why did the Council accept? Was it fear, comfort, spontaneity? These questions had no hard answers, only loose guesses that would likely be proven false. _Damn, why does this have to happen now of all times?_

Reaching an intersection, three guards started to open fire on Garrus. Now turning on the shield emitter built into his armor, he found that the signal was being blocked. _What?_ He thought as bullets started to raze the walls around him. _They wouldn't..._ A few shots were fired from him and they all missed, except one, and that one would be his undoing for the bullet ripped straight through a human soldier's flesh, crimson spurting from his chest and his back. Gore sprayed the ivory wall as the C-Sec guard beside him screamed in horror. _This was all 'part of the plan', wasn't it? They wanted me to kill someone, now the Normandy has been truly soiled. Now there is no way to paint our name in good light. Those Viper bastards!_

The guard before him was panicking now, screaming and shooting all around the room. Garrus knew that the solider would only be evidence to the crime he had committed. Simply that would only be detrimental to the mission and, after destroying all cameras in sight; he shot the quarian officer between the eyes. _Simple and painl_ess, thought Garrus as he started running again, leaving no time to remorse over what he had to do.

A few more paces to go before Garrus finally reached the window, a blast from a rocket launcher sent him spiralling to a wall with glass shattering all around him. It cut deep, yet Garrus was lucky it did not damage his face as it was protected by his trusty helmet. Alternatively, the wounds that were inflicted to his body were only minor flesh wounds.

While Garrus was in this dazed state, more shots were fired towards his heaving form. Luckily, none of them connected and he was soon on his feet again. However, his moments were slowed as he could feel the burn of his wounds and the blood slithering beneath his suit. In a few short lengths he came before the designated window, only to find that the Normandy was nowhere in sight.

"Dammit, Joker where are you?" Garrus yelled into the com as more guards started to swarm his position. "Joker, if this is some kind of joke it isn't funny." Dodging bullets with shields up was one thing, but dodging them with them not operational was an entirely different story, especially when Garrus did not want to fire on the operatives before him. "Joker... I swear to the spirits you better be coming right—

"Looking for us?" Came the joyous ring through the com as Garrus whisked around to find the Normandy before the window in all her glory.

"I've never been happier to see that ship..." Garrus uttered softly as more guards descended on his position. A few more shots rang out against the air before Garrus shut off the com and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing," he said as he blasted the window with a few well placed bullets. Already weakened by the rocket launcher used earlier, the window shattered effortlessly under Garrus' fire. One last look behind him caused him to observe a familiar asari walk down the halls. She was the asari who they had fought in the corridors on Rannoch. _No... it couldn't be..._ But that face was unmistakable, as well as the scars from the battle they had fought.

But no time could be wasted as Garrus turned and flung himself out of the window, his arms sprawling towards the Normandy's opened hatch. Time seemed to freeze as he flew through the air, the bullets streaming all around his body. At last he fell inside and screamed at Joker to close the door and turn the ship around.

"That was the plan!" Screamed Joker as the ship started to careen away from the Citadel. The ship screamed as metal strained under the thrust of its impulse, yet the ship drove ever onward, away from the hypocrites and liars, towards their escape.

After lying in the decontamination field for want seemed like eternity, Garrus stood up and retracted his helmet back into his suit. At last they were safe. Though the victory had come with a price, at least they were—"Ah... Garrus?"

The turian sighed and opened the com. "Yes, Joker?" He really didn't need any bad news at this moment.

"Well, I could give you the good news and bad news—"

"I'll come to the cockpit." With that simple response Garrus was on his feet, moving towards bridge and opening the doors to it. In an instant he was at the head of the Normandy, staring at the viewing screen before them. "They wouldn't..." he uttered, barely audible. Before them were the closing arms of the Citadel, threatening to trap them inside.

"Those bosh'tets! Why are they doing that?" Tali cry was a perfect representation of how they all felt. Closing the Citadel's arms was indeed no easy task and the fact that they were trying to trap them inside was daunting to say the least. The Council was unhinged in their wrath.

Joker, frantically looking around for any possible exit, turned to face Garrus. "Do you trust me?" Asked the pilot directly and seriously.

Garrus was flustered; still confused about what was befalling before him he could only splutter small parts of phrases and words. "Bu... no... wait... how..."

The pilot turning back to his console started pressing buttons. "Do you trust me Garrus?"

"Yes."

A broad smile crossed the pilots face as he imputed the final commands. "That's what I've been waiting to hear. Hang onto your socks folks, we are pushing through this bad boy!" With one swift motion the FTL started to activate in the Normandy as the ship sped towards the opening that was dwindling in size by the second.

"Are you sure about this, Joker?" Asked Tali nervously.

Joker scoffed. "You heard what Garrus said a few days ago, I'm not about to make this mission a suicide one!"

Rushing towards the opening with full speed, the Normandy shook and cracked with strain. At last the faithful readings crossed the monitors and Joker shouted at the top of his lungs as he input the final commands that sent the Normandy spiralling into space. Only seconds away from smashing into the Citadel's arms, the Normandy vanished into space, far away from the peering eyes of the Council and the Citadel.

Moments passed in the cockpit as tensions lowered and peace finally returned to the friends inside that small room. Instantly, Joker shouted at the top of his lungs and started laughing. Kissing the console in joy and smiling from ear to ear. Tali as well, jumped into Garrus' arms and hugged him deeply. They had entered the lion's nest and made it out with their lives. But as other members and friends joined in the celebrations outside the cockpit, the party was bittersweet. Even with Liara by his side telling him all would be fine, there was still an impossible mission before them. With no contacts, no support and no back up, the Normandy would have to pull off a miracle to come out on top.

But Garrus accepted the challenge with open arms. In fact, he dared it. "So what do we do now?" Grunted Zaeed once the celebrations had diminished. "We have no support and now we have the entire goddamn galaxy after us. I hope you have a damn good plan, turian."

Garrus, his smile from mandible to mandible, grasped Zaeed by shoulder. "Oh, Zaeed. Just wait and see."


	24. Down But Not Out

**Chapter 24: Down But Not Out**

For the next few days, Garrus poured over his datapad. No one saw him for those days, not even Liara. The turian didn't care for anyone at this time, only what his next plan was and how he was going to strike back at the Vipers' newest ploy.

The revelation of their exile in Citadel space was swift and brutal, often causing many of the crew to have second thoughts about their mission. Chief among those were the new recruits who spent so much time alongside Miranda's Cerberus officers, they were the ones who looked forlorn among the apparent hated and despised of the Council's acquaintances. Once, Garrus had Joker signal him that there was a young asari who had pulled out a pistol and threatened to shoot the drive core if the Normandy did not return to the Citadel at once. It was the only time Garrus had left his office and after the display he had made of her, there was not a single subordination for the rest of the week.

That week was full of solitude for Garrus. Seclusion only ended when Liara opened the door to his office. Scattered around the room were pages from books and holo-screens that danced around the turian's head. Garrus was reading two datapads at once it seemed, one in each hand. He seemed to compare both of them, equally studying their contents. Without a glance towards her position, Garrus' mouth opened slightly. "Liara?"

The question jarred her slightly, but nevertheless she answered it. "Yes?"

His eyes met hers when he lowered the two metallic sheaths. "Those doors were locked when I entered in here last. No one knows the pass code. How did you—"

"I had some help," she grinned. The turian shook his head with a sigh and would have returned to his work if it was not for the blue hand of his beloved that stopped him. "Listen, people—"

"Who's 'people'?" Growled Garrus as his mandibles twitched irritably.

Liara sighed and sat on the desk, only leg propped over the other. Garrus seemed concerned by this, though the lovely asari before him would be damned if he ever denied her the seat. "Your crew, Garrus. They need you. Ever since Helnia pulled that stunt in engineering—"

"Don't remind me," Garrus sighed as he pushed himself up from his chair and walked over towards the window. It was smaller now and a sheet of metal was covering half of it as the glass had not been fully repaired.

"You didn't need to be that rough with her. Sticking her in the AI Drive Core room under heavy guard—"

"It was the only thing I could do!" Interrupted Garrus with fury. The past few days had taken their toll on the battered turian. Every contact he knew seemed to be out of range, halfway into dark space, ect. The thought of the biggest assembly of Alliance and Hierarchy starships completely out of reach bothered him as well. With those friends gone, he barely had any left in the galaxy.

After a few moments of silence, Garrus stepped away from the window but his arms were still crossed. "I'm tired, Liara," he stated softly. "I can't find a damn thing that can help us. The Vipers have every bloody thing locked up tight."

Another pause crossed the room, bringing with it an uneasy tension between the two lovers. Liara licked her lips and retreated from the table. Her gait's direction caused her to draw closer to Garrus, her hands slowly unweaving the tangled arms in front of his chest. "You just need to think it through calmly, of course." Garrus stared at her, his beady red eyes burning inside his skull. Sleep had not come to him easily in the past few days and he doubted it would ever come to him again if this trend continued.

"But what do I do?" He interjected, throwing himself away from her arms. "They seem to be everywhere, corrupting everyone. It seems that everywhere we go, the Vipers have another strong base of support—"

"Then we strike at their heart." Garrus whipped around and looked at her quizzically. His reaction caused her distraught expression to evolve into a grin. "They must have a base somewhere and wherever that base is, we can strike at it. Can't we?"

Garrus started to chuckle softly, his tense breath released quickly from its bonds. The penalties of stress often caused unexpected responses and this was as unexpected as it could get. The turian shook his head finally when his release of tension had ceased. "If only it was that simple, Liara. If only my contact would respond to me and tell me where to go." Garrus shook his head. "It seems even he cannot reveal the secrets of the Vipers to me. Maybe his loyalty has been swayed as well."

"Contact?" Question Liara, her gaze incredulous. "What do you mean by 'contact', Garrus?"

The turian looked at her with sorrowful eyes. She was trying to bring him out of his shell, trying to coax him out of this cynical depression. _And you know what? It's actually working_, he thought to himself. A few steps forward and he was centimeters from her face. Reflexively, her hand reached to his mandible and his talons fell softly onto her back. They shared a kiss there. After they parted, deeply blushing, Liara smiled softly to the smirking turian. "I needed that, thanks."

Liara shook her head and chuckled. "No thanks are needed Garrus, I'm here for you. Just like the rest of the crew." The turian nodded to that, thankful that he had someone like Liara to be by his side and pull him out of his darkest thoughts. "Now," she said mischievously, "are you going to tell me who this mysterious contact is?"

A talon pressed against Garrus' lower lip as he looked up in thought. "Well, I guess I can trust you, though you could be a spy. You can never be too careful."

The asari swayed back and forth, her sly gaze only growing in sensuality. "And how may I prove myself, Garrus?"

The turian, catching onto her thoughts, only grinned. "Well, I think I have an idea on how that might work." Their faces drew close and their lips touched, but only briefly as a familiar ringing sounded through the com.

"Hey, ah, Garrus?" Joker sounded as their lips parted and Garrus' eyes were closed tightly in agitation. _Dammit Joker, what now?_

Though his thoughts were quite furious, Garrus simply pursed his lips and uttered softly, "What is it, Joker?" Though his attempts to restrain his temper were, for the most part, successful, that inner disturbance and anxiety had still yet to be eased by Liara's touch and Joker immediately recognized the problem.

"Look, if I'm interrupting something again, I'm terribly sorry. You know I'm really bad with this romantic bullshit. My right hand is really the only—"

"Just tell me what you want!" Sighed Garrus as he eased himself away from Liara, giving a look of 'I'm sorry'. She shrugged, returning his look with a mouthed 'I understand'.

There was a pause over the intercom, then the cryptic snapping of static. After a moment of static, Joker's voice broke through, causing Garrus to sigh in relief. _Sometimes I wonder how stable this ship is._ "Okay, so this was quite the shock when I found out. I actually had Miranda look over it and she was as surprised as I was when she read the damn message. I mean, I think I need someone to pinch me—"

"Joker," warned Garrus, somewhat more playfully than he had ever done before. It seemed as if Liara noted this and her expression lightened.

Another pause. "It's Jack, Garrus. She wants us to pick her up on a space station near here." There was no response from either the turian or the asari. _What does she want?_ Questioned Garrus, confused. _Why is she coming to us now?_ The only logical explanation was simple: fear. _Of what though?_ Was the reply. _That's a damn good question_, acknowledged Garrus, a question he knew he would soon find out the answer to. "Ah, Garrus?" Replied Joker after the pause had gone on long enough for the human pilot.

The turian shook his head and turned to Liara. _I bet she's questioning the same things as me_. "I understand, Joker. Chart a course towards the station—"

"But Garrus—"

"I know it's risky," nodded the turian commander, "but it's the best chance we've got at another ally. Besides, I want to see what changed her mind."

"Righto, I'll get us there in a jiffy."

"Oh, Joker?"

"Ya?"

There was a pause as Garrus tried to collect his thoughts. The curious, but deeply interested stare of Liara seemed to prod him, ask him to go on. He obliged. "Thanks. We couldn't do this without you."

The pilot's response was silence for the longest time before his voice crackled over the system. "Oh, stop it you big turian man-baby. I'm blushing right now." A slight chuckle broke his sentences, but he was quick to reply with a cunning remark. "I'll be going now, you two have fun." With that the com shut off, leaving Liara and Garrus alone again.

Garrus was tired of the silence and immediately started to speak, "Liara—"

"No, it's okay. I understand." She took a few steps forward and placed her hands on his chest. "You just save the galaxy again." She started to draw away, but Garrus' arms brought her in tightly against him. Her head jolted back originally, but then succumbed to the suggestion and lowered onto his chest. His breathing dictating her head's movement.

"Some days I wish I could just freeze time, you know?"

The asari smirked lightly. _I love it when she does that_. "There will be a time, Garrus. Don't worry." He would have worried if anyone else had said that, Shepard or otherwise. But here, with Liara in his, he knew she was right. _And you know what? I'm glad I finally realized it._

* * *

They were in a circle around the table in the conference room. Garrus was at one end while Jack took up the other. Her eyes were bagged, her gaze distance, and her breath shallow. Garrus was similar, yet vigor was coursing through his veins. He still had hope, the hope of a brighter dawn. But Jack... Jack had lost all that.

It had not been difficult docking into the station. This was a remote outpost far away from the Sol Cluster. Jack seemed to have done her homework on a pickup location, though the fact that she was unfazed by their revelation of the Viper's trickery caused alarm for Garrus. _Why is she so calm about it?_ Wondered Garrus to himself as they walked through the halls of the station, moving ever closer to Jack's own revelation. _Maybe calm is the wrong word, tense is probably a better one_. Though he questioned her stance, his answer would soon be revealed aboard the ship.

Inside the Normandy now, her face sullen and worn, Garrus did not want to find out. There was a story to tell here and he knew it was not going to end happily. After a moment of silence, Garrus prompted her to go on, to speak. Zaeed even put a hand on her shoulder, but that was shrugged off. _Damn, she's as pissed as I was_, thought Garrus grimly. _Thank the spirits Liara was there for me_.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she spoke. "You want to know what happened?" She uttered, barely above her breath. A few nods in the group, mostly curious about her well being. Even Miranda, dubbed 'Cerberus cheerleader' years ago, seemed concerned. "Fuck, I don't even know where to start."

"Try at the beginning." A glare was shot towards the speaker, Miranda. The perfect female shrugged. "We aren't your enemies, Jack, trust us on that."

The rugged female spat on the floor. "Ya... fuck, you're right." '_Miranda was right'?_ The thought genuinely shook Garrus. Something was definitely amiss. "It's those fucking Vipers." Her fist slammed against the table and trembled under the strain she placed on it. "Those bastards... they... they... fuck!" Her other hand slammed onto the table, this time palm down. The hard slap sounded painful and brutal. Jack was unrelenting in her emotions, pushing herself not to cry.

"What did they do, Jack?" Inquired Garrus.

Her eyes, blood red, shot up towards him. Water formed along her bottom eye lid. "They took my damn kids." The words echoed through the room. No one dared speak. "They force-fed ideas of grandeur and glory. They told them that they would be kings. They..." Her head whipped to the side as she bit her lip hard, trying, but unable, to control the pressing emotions. "They turned them against me. We fought, nearly blew a fucking hole in the side of the academy. After that, no one wanted me in the fucking building. I took the shit for it, not those damn Vipers." She threw herself from the table, her eyes scanning the floor. "Now I'm here, fucking crawling back to you assholes like a squashed bug. So go on, mock me."

Garrus looked around, waiting for someone to speak. No one did. It was all on him now and he knew exactly what to say. "No one is blaming you, Jack." Her eyes darted upward, spearing him with her dark gaze. There was so much hate and anger behind that glare, but above all, hurt was deeply embedded into her psyche. She had lost the only thing that mattered to her in the galaxy. In essence, she now had nothing to lose. _I guess she's like a lot of us right now._

"What do you mean?" She responded, her eyes moving around sporadically in her sockets. "I can see it in your eyes, the mocking and gleeful grins you all hold so dear. You all think this is some small victory, me crawling back wanting your help. Damn, I'm so predictable—"

"We aren't here to gloat, Jack." The abruptness of the statement caused Jack to pause, stop in her tracks and be at a loss for words. "We are here to stop the Vipers. You can gladly go off and yell about what's happened, but definitely not before you tell us what you know." Even Garrus was surprised by the bluntness of his words, yet they were the words that needed to be said. "So, are you going to help us, or should I just let you continue to complain?"

The tattooed female swallowed bile and for a moment, that was the only movement in the room. Then she slowly started to unwind a cloth around her forearm. It was a long white bandage that Garrus had originally thought was to cover a wound. Yet as she meticulously unwound the bandage, the turian realized it held a much more significant connotation to her. At last the pristine cloth fell to the floor in ribbons and her pale skin was revealed to the whole group. In dark black ink was a new tattoo, one that they had never seen before. A tear slowly rippled down her cheek as the voice that sprouted from her throat was groggy and thick with emotion. "This tattoo was the symbol of our class." She grinned slightly, another tear rolling down her cheek to mirror the first. "My students thought it would be a good idea for their memory to be with me forever. Damn, I thought it was such a stupid idea. But now... now I can't..." She choked on her words, desperately trying to get her message across. "I can't... I... fucking..." The tears came more freely now and everyone was stunned at the sudden and open display of her humanity. No one was as surprised as Garrus, however, when it was none other than Miranda who came to the biotic's side and eased her pains.

Jack originally shrugged her off, but soon took solace in the hand of the Cerberus operative. "You know," Miranda started after everyone had been thoroughly surprised, "I know exactly how you feel. I almost lost my sister to my father and I lost all meaning in my life because of him as well. But... but I also gained so much from that experience. Cerberus is starting to grow again, starting to be the beacon for humanity it was originally intended to be. There's so much darkness in the galaxy, yet we have to remember to look for the light."

Jack looked to Miranda and smirked. "You know, if you had told me that ten years ago, I would have slapped your face and punched you in the stomach. I would have called you a pussy and moved on. But now... now that I've grown older and seen what this galaxy has to offer... Dammit, you're right, cheerleader. You're so fucking right."

The tension in the room drifted and Garrus found himself smiling from mandible to mandible. His gaze turned and met Liara's who had been staring at him the entire time. _She sees the family coming back together under me. Though we've lost a few along the way, they are still here in spirit._ Garrus chuckled lightly. _Who_ _would've thought it would take ten years and a crazy group of mercenaries to get us all back together? I bet Shepard would've. _And though he remembered his previous commander with fondness, this time the memories did not hold a bitter regret. Instead they held solace and peace. "So," started Garrus again, this time with more joviality, "I bet you have some dirt on the Vipers. Care to share?"

Jack wiped her tears on her forearm with the student's tattoo and grinned. "Dirt? Fuck ya, I have dirt. How's this for dirt?" She brought up her omni-tool with a grin on her first. Lights brightened her face and, with the flick of her wrist, the holographic projection of statistics flashed before them all.

Tali's face drew close to the monitor, her expression both shocked and confused. "Keelah, are those...?"

"Areas Viper members or members with Viper-like qualities have been spotted," explained Jack, monotone. "Their uniform is unmistakable in a crowd. It's like their leader wants to show off, to display these black and purple colours to the universe. But that's not the only concerning bit, it's how spread out these instances are." She started to point to different sectors of the galactic map, zooming in and out of clusters and systems of stars. "Look here, one in the Exodus Cluster and then a few days later, another sight in the Kepler Verge. There's no way a ship could have gotten there that fast between relays, especially with our current technological limitations."

Zaeed nodded his head at the data. "So, what you're telling me is that the Viper's have major power bases, all across the galaxy?"

Miranda shrugged. "It seems that way, but then again, there didn't seem to be that many when we fought them on Rannoch, Garrus."

"There aren't, that's the fucking impossibility," replied Jack angrily. "There are only a handful of these bastards but they appear everywhere."

"So, what can we deduce from this?" Stated Liara, puzzled.

Grunt just chuckled loudly. "The only thing I can 'deduce' is more skulls getting crushed. I don't care whether it's on Virmire, Rannoch, the Citadel, or even Turchanka, these Vipers will be crushed by this mighty krogan!"

"Easy there big boy," grinned Kasumi as she patted Grunt's back. "There will be plenty of Vipers to fight in the future, don't worry."

"But that still leaves the question of what to do," reinforced Chakwas, who was standing on the side observing the scene before her. "We still need a battle plan."

As the debates continued, Garrus could not help but stare at the map before him. There was something about all these instances that added up somehow. How they added up was still a mystery... or, was it that difficult to see?

"I think I've got it!" Spoke Garrus aloud as he stroked his mandibles with his talons. "These Vipers, the only way they could have gotten to these locations this quickly is through multiple bases." A few brows were raised, but Garrus waved them off. "You see, their leader leaves behind a few people in each base. These people are to go around and make waves. These small groups are scattered throughout the galaxy, making them seem like a huge formidable threat." The turian's fist slammed upon the table. "That's how they were able to convince the Council that this gang was such a big threat. They have displayed a huge power base across the entire galaxy. I mean, who would argue with information like that?"

"But what does this all mean, goddammit?" Shouted Zaeed in fury. He still seemed off after the retreat from the Citadel, calling all of C-Sec a bunch of goddamn sissies. But Garrus wondered if that was just his machismo hiding his inner turmoil after the attack with the geth dreadnought. _I bet he still feels horrible after Gabby and Ken's death. _Gabby and Ken... it still hurt after the fact. But they had to move on, fight in their memory.

"You know exactly what it means," fired back Garrus with a grin. "We are that closer to striking at the Viper's main base. They may think they have us beaten, but we are quick and ready to strike. By no means are we out of this battle!" A cheer was sent around the room and after it circled a few times, Garrus turned to his crew. "Now, I want all of you to start digging up whatever you can. Use whatever you need to. Steal an Alliance admiral's private logs, be my guest. This time we spare no expense and this time we hold no bars. We are at war!" The roar of excitement sounded again as everyone started to depart from the conference room.

Jack started to leave as well, but was stopped by the reach of Garrus. "It's good to have you back onboard, Jack."

The female biotic gave a hearty grin. Garrus half expected some slanderous comment or some rowdy cuss, but instead her response was short and heartfelt. "It's good to be back. I don't know why I didn't join sooner."

Alone inside the conference room, Liara and Garrus turned to one another. "So, I guess it begins then?"

"Begins?" Chuckled Garrus light-heartedly. "No, it doesn't begin, it ends. Here and now, we will finish this with those bastards." The female asari smirked and started to draw near, but a beep from Garrus' omni-tool caused them to pause in their celebrations. "Do you mind if—?"

"Be my guest," chuckled Liara happily as her turian lover turned and opened the channel.

"This is Garrus Vakarian and who do I have the pleasure of..." That face, it was one he had not seen in a few weeks, months even. "You... you're still alive! By the spirits, I thought you were dead for all the good you did in contacting us again! What? What's going on? You damn well know what's going on! Why didn't you tell us sooner what they were planning? Ya, ya I know you had your hands tied." Garrus turned around and gave a reassuring smile to Liara, who only shook her head in response. "So, what do you have for me, my friend? Oh... well, that seems like just what we need. Give me the details as soon as you can, Vakarian out."

Liara took a few paces towards the turian, until her arms could wrap around his body. "Who was that?"

"My contact, it seems like we finally have the advantage we needed." _And not a moment too soon, _thought Garrus with a grin. _Sometimes, I wonder if the spirits are on our side with this one. _But Garrus could not spend his time wishing on stars. They had a war to win.


	25. Lasting Impressions

**Chapter 25: Lasting Impressions**

_"So there I was on the Citadel with those memories flooding back and the pain... oh, the pain coursing through my heart again. The bright lights did little to ease it. When I first gazed upon the magnificent station, I often wondered how I couldn't feel safe. But in that moment, with the artificial sun beating down on me, I knew that its light was mocking me._

_"Fear. It's all about that isn't it? To drive men mad and to throw them into corners they cannot get out of. They use it in the military. They use it in politics. Christ, they used it against me when my lover died. Emotionally scarred and broken, my hands as cold as ice, they told me that it would be alright. 'Protect those who could be like her,' they said. 'Save others from the pain you feel.'_

_"But I wouldn't be in pain if it wasn't for them. They were only trying to cover their ass, protect their property, protect the machine that was starting to break from wear. Well, I showed them. I threw away my badge long before the Reapers were a threat. I tore myself from those chains long ago and now – now as I talk to you I start to realize that I may have died if I had stayed. I could have been on one of the ships that a Reaper obliterated or I could've been on a colony where the Collectors hit. I guess you could say she saved me from my untimely demise._

_"Damn, I hate it when I say it like that."_

* * *

"What happened this time, Shade?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You came here for a reason, didn't you? You do know there are others—"

"And I'm sure they will appreciate your services more than I will."

"What's going on Shade? Why are you here?"

I had an answer to that question, yet I remained oddly mute in face of it. Should I have said that my nightmares had escalated? Maybe I should have said that I had felt ignored and useless since Raven had brought members such as Thionan and Rhetoric to the Citadel? Perhaps I reply that I couldn't sleep anymore and would wander the eternal sunlight, never finding any solace? Or should I simply say that Geisha was worried for me and that she forced me to come? Every single thought was none of Rhetoric's concern. As time passed on the geth dreadnought, I became disassociated with Rhetoric, canceling meetings and generally slipping away from her oily fingers.

Any way you looked at it, being as far away from Rhetoric as I could be was a blessing. Perhaps some may think that odd, but I think you know enough about me to understand why I closed myself off the way I did.

Rhetoric, as usual, tried to elicit a response. "I could guess... is that what you want, Shade? For me to guess why you wanted to see me?"

_Maybe, if that's what you want. _I replied to myself. _Maybe if you would shut up and leave me alone._

"I've been going over the stuff your – comrades have said about you..." She almost said 'friends', didn't she? She almost convinced herself I wasn't a solider, wasn't a faceless demon who wielded a weapon more powerful than my mortal hands could ever comprehend. Heh, she almost thought I slept at night. "What do you have to say?"

She probably labeled off numerous complaints, comments, concerns, or just plain interjections from anyone she could get her hands on. I bet Thionan's was a joke, Raven's a passing glance, Biasheta a harsh criticism, Siphon a prayer, and Geisha a genuine concern. What would my write-up be? What would I say about myself if I had the opportunity_? I'm a mess_, is what I'd say. _I'm a fucking mess of flesh and bone_.

My silence bothered her and this time it seemed like my dejected glances and hollow remarks broke through her barrier. "Listen, you know that I've been in this program with you for—"

About six or seven months. The story was old, the speech worn, and the tongue dead. I'd heard her 'plight' a million times from a million different wounded soldiers. The differences was that I'd stopped caring. You reach that point somewhere in your life where you just quit talking and just keep trudging on. The moment when you realize that no one in the world gives a damn about your struggle because they have all the struggles in the world crashing down on them.

"I don't even know why I bother anymore—"

"Neither do I," I replied smoothly, as if I were right on cue for some stupid cliché movie. The wounded solider fresh off the battlefield from the Reaper War; the earnest human willing to help even though she held her own demons. If this continued we'd be kissing passionately in minutes. But to be honest, the very thought made me want to vomit. It wasn't the fact that Rhetoric was ugly – far from it – it was the fact that it would be fake, forced, and mechanical. Even Geisha would cringe at the staged movement of flesh upon flesh. That's all I saw of Rhetoric now: flesh on strings dancing desperately for some 'cause' to champion.

My face lifted to hers; I could see the struggle planted firmly on her lips. Her face contorted in some strange array of wrinkles and tension. "Listen, you need help. Whether you say you do or you don't is of no concern to me, helping people through these trials is."

"Why do you care so much, Rhetoric?"

The question jarred her, possibly because of its seemingly unrelated detour from her original comment, or perhaps due to the directness of the statement. "Why do I care?"

"Yes." I affirmed illicitly. "Why do you care?"

"Why do I care?" She leaned back in her jet black leather chair, streaks of light through the blinds draping thin lines across her body. These lines wavered, making her body appear to have an uneasy movement to it. "I guess I care because that's what I do. I help people, Shade. My job – my goal in life is to heal those who have been wronged before in their lives. I was chosen for this position so I could help people move on—"

"Hypocrite," I blindly stated, rising to my feet with my hands deep in my pockets. "You can't 'heal' anyone without healing yourself first. Stand and look in a fucking mirror for a change. If you see blood on your body, you are looking correctly. If you see anything else, you're blind as a bat."

I started to walk away, but the drowning sound of Rhetoric's voice held firmly in my mind. "How dare you attack me about my past! You have no right to thrash me for my transgressions!"

"Is that it? The great and powerful Rhetoric is afraid of her past? I thought you were the only one here whom Raven had a damn favour for. What the hell happened to that?" My head turned slightly as my eyes half closed in a snide attempt at humour. "What does he owe you anyway? Is there a baby hiding somewhere missing a father that I don't know—"

"He killed my sister." The statement was direct and blunt. There were no strings attached, no faulty pits of concave drops in tone or style. Just an elegant, but innately human, sentence. _He killed my sister_.

I heard it all through her tears: how her sister had come to love the man, Raven, how she and he had met in the military and their bond was stronger than any she had ever seen. Her relationship failed, but theirs blossomed. Marriage was expected, children were a wondrous dream, but death waited for no one. In a blink of an eye she was dead and Raven was again alone in the world. Apparently it took two years to track the poor bastard down after his lover's death. Even then, I doubted one could even reason with a man in such a state. And now, standing in a door leading to a placid, bleach white room, I saw the entire tale spun before my eyes. By the end Rhetoric was on the floor, I was standing above her like some god, and the Citadel's manifestation shone on. It always shone brightly in the darkest corners of humanity.

My instinct to turn was short lived once I gazed upon the broken and battered form of Rhetoric on the black carpet, her fingers gripping the soft fabric like a baby when it cries for milk from its mother. There was something distinctly human about her form, heaving in a fetal position in the juxtaposing colour scheme of this monochromatic display around us. In the end I took my leave, fully understanding Rhetoric's plight yet never wanting to reveal my own to her again. I sealed that door long ago and when I think back to what I thought in that space, with Rhetoric newly brought to the Citadel to help but now only a shell of what she was… it… it makes me feel like I have somehow become nothing more than a weapon.

With my quiet exit and Rhetoric's weeping, I departed to the gardens of the Citadel. It had been my secret roundabout of peace since my sleepless nights had interrupted another, Thionan, who had entered my room since Raven had called him forth. Now my room was no longer a sanctuary for the nightmares that broke my body into a cold sweat. Instead the fresh and crisp air of the Citadel, eternally in some sort of pseudo spring season, would be the tomb for my hesitations.

Lovers would sometimes boarder the paths I crossed. They would squirm away from my cautious glances and some would just mash their lips together more voraciously. In either case, insecurity was at the forefront of their minds. Why else would two people go out into public to basically screw when they could do it in private? The answer: it was a show. Everything was a show. Puppets strung on to looks like we could move our wooden frames on our own. The strings were merely an illusion to keep us from our happiness. But it was for naught. I learned that a long time ago so why couldn't these lovers?

_Because they wanted to believe in hope,_ a voice in my head told me. _They want to kiss away the worry and enjoy the sun. Isn't that enough sometimes? _Maybe that was what Raven was trying to do: give people hope so they didn't have to keep hiding under their false faces. Perhaps he was trying to give the galaxy the gold-like figure it so desperately craved. It demanded hope, but hope was in short quantity after Shepard disappeared from the limelight.

My feet halted before a circular fountain. Instead of taking one of the two paths that circled around the display, my head rose from the ground to start at the centerpiece. It was a statue of Shepard, his hand by his side and his other clasping a great spear raised to the sky. His gaze was centered onto the heavens and his face carved with enough skill to make some of the human statues of old look frail in comparison. He looked like a Greek god.

Still my feet did not move. Instead it was my mind that wandered. It searched for answers to the image of Shepard, it craved a reason to exist. And, furthermore, it wished that somewhere, someone would give me a simple answer: something that would solidify my reason for being. _Am I like them?_ I finally questioned myself after darting around the idea for hours, possibly days. _Do I wear a false mask to tear myself away from the pains of the past; the present?_

My omni-tool started to hiss at me. It clicked and chirped for my attention, but I did not give it. My stare remained on the stoic Shepard. Finally, after what seems like an eternity of annoyance, my hand flashed to the holographic screen and brought up the caller. I patched it into my earpiece to avoid the static voice from alerting attention.

"Yes?" I stated, irate.

"Heard about what happened," a soft voice shifted its way through the com, making my body freeze in place. "Do you want to talk about what happened with Rhetoric, Shade?"

_Why Geisha? Why must you try to reach me in this distraught state?_ My clouded gaze started to clear. "It's none of your business."

I heard a muffled sigh. "It was my business when you collapsed in the hall a few days ago." That statement tore at my heart as the memories of my collapsed form crying on the ceramic tiles of the Citadel flooded back in full force. "When I find you shuddering from trauma, I think I have a right to know what's going on, m'lord—"

"I told you before, I don't want you speaking to me like that!" A soft sound from Geisha was emanated from the device, it almost sounded as if she recoiled from the impact of my comment's ferocity. "I control my own damn life!" With my hand raising to brush back my hair, I gutturally growled, "You can't possibly understand what it's like. You're an AI after all, only meant to replicate emotions, never fully understanding them…" It took only a second to realize the mistake I had made, but it was a second too late to stop myself. The damage had been done and I had destroyed my relationship with Geisha horrifically, possibly forever.

"Goodbye Marcus," was the reply as the sharp screech of the com's connection dying was my ceremonious farewell. I stood there, dumbfounded and alone, my body shaken and my mouth agape. _Did she just call me Marcus? Was that even real? Did that title exist when I was born or even before my conception? _My hands slowly found their way into tight balls as I threw down my head and swore viciously.

My elaborate embarrassment lasted for a few minutes. My languish was perpetrated by inconsistent growls causing glances from lovers sitting or standing in their own world. I could not see their faces, but to this day I imagine the tight-lipped face of a salarian, his eyes narrowed in disgust, or the regal flair of a turian shaking her head at the putrid display of human emotions, or maybe some provocative asari who nimbly touched her face with a daft hand to whisper sullenly, "Oh dear." These are the faces of those who watched my sorrow and these are the faces of the people I despised to be around. I did not need their sympathy, I did not need their wandering eyes, I did not need … I did not need the embarrassment, did not wish for my heart to look like glass to them. My heart was not an open shutter and yet… I could not fault them for their glances. I was the only one who could be faulted for attracting their eyes for I secretly begged them to stare and feel sympathy.

My eyes eventually found the surrounding scenery and, in that haze, spotted a lone asari under a full tree of emerald. She was encapsulated in shade. My body froze, my eyes scanned every part of her to find out who she was and how long she had been there. The second quarry could not be discerned, however the first was all too obvious. Biasheta was watching me.

There was an awkward standoff as we stared back at one another. Her stance was completely calm with her icy glare while my body trembled at how much, wondering how much she had actually seen. The silence lasted a few more moments until my lips opened and a soft sound was uttered by my coarse voice. "What are you doing here?"

She did not move, did not make a sound in response. There was only that stare, that judgmental oppression of superiority on me; elitism at its finest. No wonder she was an outcast of her people: she was a perfect reflection.

"What do you want?" Again there was no movement save for the breaths that escaped from her lips. My temper was growing as steadily as the wind in the artificial plain. "You know what, I don't want to know. I'm sick of all of this. Raven, no, I'm not sick of that bastard. But I'm sick of the rejects and pathetic insults to humanity he associates himself with." _Why must he always associate himself with beggars and the forgotten of society?! It's like he imagines he is some sort of Christ figure!_ My mind wandered, swore, and fought against me. The circular logic always found a way to come back and bite me hard in the ass. This time it hit so hard it almost knocked me to the grass: I was one of the rejects.

I had always known, but I had never accepted it. Now the logic hurt and burned inside my cranium. That was why Raven had chosen me, had chosen all of us. We were each faulted by this world, were susceptible to his will and his ideas. He promised us glory that had passed us and we lapped it up like rabid dogs. And, all through this revelation, I wanted only to be part of it more. I wanted to accept the logic of Raven's scheme and, furthermore, I wanted to be fooled by it.

"You are here for a reason," I said through rasps. "Tell me what it is so I don't have to see you anymore."

Biasheta, seeming to have had enough of my displeasure for one afternoon, decided to utter a single name. "Neidak-Yalec." _Man of the future_. I had learned what the phrase meant from Prince when I had called him through the long distance communications network aboard the Citadel. I had questioned him on the gang at that time and the members who had inhabited it. Prince, only wanting to be accepted as an equal to most members, found it easy to tell me a lot about Biasheta, including some of her dialect.

We stared at one another for a moment longer, she apparently disgusted by my vocalized thoughts and I disgusted by her presence. I decided to speak again, in retaliation. "Well, I got who sent you. Where does he want to meet?" She cocked her head and apparently reveled in the expression her actions brought upon me. "Where the hell does he want me?"

Like a lone figure, the grim reaper of human myth, she stretched out her arm and extended her figure. It pointed towards my arm. Finding this gesture curious, I looked to my left and found my omni-tool flashing a bantam light that flickered like sunlight off a pond's surface. I had not noticed it, precisely because I had been too enraged by the world around me and partially due to the blinding summer refulgence. There, after a few flexes of my fingers, I found the answer to my question. It was an unassuming location and an odd one at that. The asylum of the Citadel allowed for such discrepancies in culture and lore. As such, locations shown on my omni-tool were as common as simple mutations. "Genetic differentiation" would be how Prince would put it.

My head twisted in its point, staring at Biasheta now and considering her full form. She did not wear the usual purple and black as before. Now-a-days, no one wore that costume. It was like we had grown up, matured beyond our time. What were we now? Adults who had had their dreams shattered before their eyes. In the same way we were cheated by youth, Raven had cheated us by idealism, all of this to show the frailty of the galaxy's peace. _Was it worth it?_

I took my first steps from that place with a calm gait. It was a migration of spirit away from the daunting and scintillating eyes of artificial luminescence and the sheen of an asari's eye. Before I left her, I rolled my neck slightly as to give the inclination that I was directing my next comment towards her. "You disgust me." Biasheta didn't move. "Are you sure you heard me correctly? You're a demon, a fucking blight. Emotions don't exist because your mother held onto it when you were ripped out of her stomach—"

A punch connected with my face, causing me to recoil. Then silence followed. Then the sound of footsteps on concrete. Then my knees colliding with the ground. Then me… watching the ground… and observing the reflection I could not find. Some refugees said during the Reaper War that the streets were paved with silver and gold, that if worthy men looked down, they would see their reflection. But all I saw was the ground. That's all I ever saw back then: what was in front of me.

* * *

The halls of the citadel were elongated and grandiose. Walking in, one could not help but spy the rows of seats that flanked the sapphire carpet leading to the ritual sanctuary. Krogan religious figures were carved into large oval dents in the walls, giving the space a feeling of mystique and age. Yet to know that the place was only two years old since its original inception was shocking. Even so, it was not as shocking as seeing Raven with short blonde hair watching a bloodletting sacrifice in the sanctuary.

Vocal accompaniment was expected in such a place as that one. Deep, guttural chants from a chorus of krogan males clashed against the pillars of the great church, their cries growing more shrill and high as the ceremony drew on. I found myself engaged in the ritual yet oddly detached. Maybe that was the purpose of such an old rite. Maybe some cultural identity was best left under the sands of Turchunka.

I reached Raven when a krogan in a frosted cloak approached the center of the sanctuary, a porcelain bowl in his hands. Speaking not for the respect of the service but of my own embarrassment of the situation, I was forced to witness the bowl being handed to two females, each dressed in the same white garbs, who were instructed to hold it before the leader. The chant continued, raising higher and higher, their voices soaring. It was a dance of echoes in the midst of silence until at last a knife, crystalline and embroidered, was removed by the ashen cloaked lead male. Drums were pelted from some unknown place in the halls and the females started shrieking. Then, with the knife held high in the sky, the blade crossed the krogan's arm lengthwise, blood bursting onto the members around him. A gasp from the crowd. Then silence.

I was horrified.

"From the third great krogan dynasty that conquered all of Turchunka." My head rotated towards Raven, where the voice emanated from. "Legend says that the great dynasty brought a thousand years of peace for the krogan people, however it did require the ritual killing of the monarch every fifty years." He chuckled at the thought and shook his head with his eyes lightly shut. "A day of bloodshed every fifty years … just for a thousand of peace." Screaming could be heard as the female krogan, covered in the orange tang of the male's gore, yet it was not uttered in fear. No fear was in their eyes, instead it was all a show, though the wound was frighteningly real.

The krogan, bleeding profusely, poured his blood into the bowl before him. He still clasped the knife like a mother to her newborn child. "They spill their blood every fifty years in the same manner to grant another thousand of peace." Raven's laughter was growing now, though it was not sadistic in any form, instead it held an air of disbelief. "Can't they see that their blood could be used to rebuild? Why must the Council grant such horrific sanction for the races under their jurisdiction? Are they afraid of rebellion? How far does this complacency go?"

The chanting became more distorted now as the stained glass appeared to bleed a bright crimson as another krogan in blue entered, in his hands a large case of medi-gel. He waited another few seconds, they seemed like hours to the onlookers, before rubbing it on the wound to seal it shut. However, the instantaneous nature of the powerful gel still had some blood seep through as it began the rapid regeneration of the krogan's cells, stirring his body to clot the wound.

Covered in sticky plasma, the lead krogan held his arms up, the knife displayed for all to see and started to cry out. His voice was surprisingly high and the shrill nature of the pitch was almost unbearable. For the trained eye, tears could be seen running down his cheeks. Then, the unthinkable. I gagged when I first saw it and was close to vomiting in the aisle. In fact, some days with a full stomach I do throw up when I recall the memory, so excuse me if I become pale as I tell this.

No better person could describe the repugnance better than Raven could. "A regeneration of soul and body. An awakening of sacrificial prosperity." He made it sound so gorgeous, like you would want to cut yourself open and complete the sacrifice yourself. But even with Raven's words, chills ran down my spine as the krogan took the bowl and started chugging down his own blood. It spilled everywhere, covering the floor and soaking his body in the inhuman stench. The smell of death filled the room and I was surprised that everyone was holding their meals as well as they were. However, I realized at once that the few present were krogan in origin. Except for myself and Raven.

I felt alone.

"Why am I here?" I questioned aloud, my eyes glued to the scene before me. All I could hear was the thick chug of liquid and the glossy gaze of the krogan who was consuming so furiously.

"To watch. To learn. To listen," replied smoothly Raven, whose eyes were open again and whose laughter has ceased. "I require your services once more."

"What for and why here?" Many had not questioned Raven on his choice of symbolism, yet now I asked – no, begged for the answer. I needed some guidance, I needed to know that my life was still in my grasp. I needed to know I was not like Rhetoric, a puppet to the past. I needed to know I was not like Finnegan, begging for the means to stay alive. I needed to know I was not like Prince, someone who wanted to be useful. I needed to know I was not like Siphon, finding old religions to solidify his existence. I needed to know I was not like Geisha, demanding for a future. I needed to know I was not like Biasheta, a slave to her prejudice. But most of all, I needed to know I was not like the man I saw in the mirror.

I wanted to change, some bullshit character arc like in those stories people read. The hero, some asshole or lost bastard, who finds himself at a crossing roads. Then, when the world needs him most, he rises to the occasion, saves the world, gets the girl, and stops the threat. From the womb I was promised these choices, I was promised my right to existence. Being told that I would choose my own ending, I would rewrite the mistakes and become the legend that I was meant to be. That I would not die with a whimper, but with a thousand trumpets and an armada behind my back. All I wanted was to be told I was a hero.

And with simple words, the dream faded. "I need you to find a traitor in my ranks." A traitor? The idea shocked me. Sure there had been security infringements prior to their landing on the Citadel, yet since then? Impossible. Doubt had seeded into Raven's mind now, he was being delirious.

"Are you sure that we house a person with malicious intent—"

"There is too much evidence for it," interrupted Raven bluntly. "Everything adds up to someone working for the Normandy in the very least. I understand the apprehension you must feel, which is why I am putting this burden on you and you alone." His head turned towards me, his face emotionless and chiseled. "In the same way faith and undying devotion is required for such a sacrifice to be performed, I need that same loyalty from you. Understanding your role is only the beginning of the task I ask you to do. I require your heart and your mind. Will you serve me to protect this universe we both share?" The choir was growing as the ceremony started towards its end. The dark vocals reverberated through the halls as the light from the stain-glass window had become a dark copper.

"I am the third deity, the third dynasty, the third eternity of peace; reborn!" cried out the krogan drenched in his own gore.

"I accept, my liege. Whatever you need of me, consider it done," I replied with hidden eagerness in my voice. I had found a purpose for the time being.

That was enough.

* * *

It all went according to plan.

"Here stands Marcus John Tyson before the Council in reconciliation for his crimes against his race and the galaxy at large." The attendant was a short batarian, lean and fit yet humorously smaller than most of his race. Politics looked to be his only prospects by his wiry form, for batarians took to their new found role in the Council with distain. Most saw it as soft and dishonourable. Only the rejects of that society ever got a job here. Surprisingly, my presence was being announced by a disgraced soldier for the Batarian Union. Now I look back on it as ironic. "He served in numerous battles across Alliance space, mostly in ship to ship combat during the second half of the Reaper Conflict—"

"That is quite alright, Minister Zaryluk, we request no further investigation upon this human's previous military dalliances," stated the turian, Chancellor Vernluck, with a wave of his hand. I was to act like I was a traitor brought in by my superior when I confessed my sins to him openly. The story went that I begged for forgiveness, pleaded on my hands and knees for the punishment to be light. But Raven saw his patriotic duty to the galactic union and swore to send me in for a trial in front the Council themselves. Such a horrid being could only be sentenced in front of the galaxy's elite, for Raven wanted the traitor to look into the eyes of the people he or she was killing. I was to be that puppet.

The whole plan was dependent on the true prisoner revealing his or herself in front of the audience. I was allowed no meeting with any of the task force. I could not see Giesha nor Thionan who would laugh at my predicament. There was secrecy in defense of secrets, lies to hide lies, and promises broken to ensnare the true villain. That was, at least, how Raven put it. I was never one for theatricality… heh, look at me now though.

Geisha showed up to my cell, however. I was only meant to stay in that place for a day, yet it dragged on to two. In that time I was surprised as any to see that vixen in the shadow of the door, her skin luminescent in the blinding light outside my cell. She quickly grasped me and hugged me tightly. After the immediate and unexpected display of affection, she withdrew herself and stood straight. Her demeanor of professionalism taking charge once more. She explained coolly how she had asked Raven for her to see him. He, of course, knew of our growing relationship and had no qualms with it occurring. The very fact that she came to me when no one else was allowed showed that fact. However, part of me feared the price she had to pay for that quick meeting.

In that time she also told me of how she felt responsible for this mess, how if she had not pressed my meeting with Rhetoric, none of this would've happened. I disagreed, saying that Raven had planned it all along. She surrendered to that point. Never once did she smile or show any sign of life. Maybe I had hurt here that badly before and it was a sense of duty that propelled her to come, but I still had no idea how her feelings tied into my creed to Raven. It is a puzzle I still do not understand to this day.

"Marcus." My head flew up to the chancellors above me. Each had a look of displeasure plastered across their face. The asari chancellor looked the least horrified by my trial, yet still there was great speculation of my character from him; I was some painting to be gawked at by the rich and famous. No dirty hands could touch me now.

"Yes?" I replied again, making sure to sound as if fear trailed through my voice.

"What have you to say about your crimes?" The krogan chancellor asked, his face a mixture of curiosity and wonder.

I had planned my responses beforehand, even now there were measures of escape that were within my reach. If the plan went sour there was a small pistol in a pocket strapped to my leg. The electromagnetic cuffs that tied my hands behind my back could easily be released if such need arose. I was told I was safe in this position, that I was only here to draw out the traitor. Now the reason for why _I_ was needed for this act was beyond me, however I did understand that I could say whatever I wanted to now.

"I cannot say anything about them, only that I regret my part and involvement with the rogue crew of the Normandy."

"So you can confirm the rumour that the Normandy was indeed responsible for the heinous acts and are, indeed, aligned with the Vipers as we speak?" The Chancellor Vernluck seemed to press the topic heavily, as if he needed clarification before he could begin his rant anew.

"My involvement is unquestionable."

That seemed to be the answer the turian chancellor wanted. "Now see! Look at what this great 'team' of Commander Shepard's has done! In fact, now the evidence is piling so high against these so-called 'heroes' that it seems impossible that they are not responsible. Behold yet another testimony against them. What say you, Chancellor Kain, about your great war hero's immortal unit?"

The human chancellor, with his hands folded against his chest, nodded his head in thought. "There is no point in protecting this criminals any longer. The attack against them to retain their ship, the SSV Normandy, was not of my own design. Indeed, I was against the idea entirely. News of other stations that had made contact with the ship also reported testimonies that were contradictory to the information delivered by Mr. Richardson and his new unit. Now? I'm not sure we can deny Richardson's facts." _So this was the true purpose. It was not only to catch the traitor, but also to solidify the knowledge of the Normandy crew's corruptibility and strengthen the Council's trust towards Raven!_ This realization caused me to admire the human even more.

"I agree with your assessment, Chancellor Kain," spoke the asari chancellor. "I, as well, considered Mr. Richardson's information false. Was it not Commander Bailey, leader of the C-Sec forces, who helped the aforementioned Normandy crew escape? His testimony was against these accusations and he is indeed a respected figure in the galaxy. But I suppose even the most righteous can be corrupted."

"Yes, even you pathetic human angels can have seeds of doubt spurred into your sack," chuckled the krogan chancellor deviously.

A few glares were given towards the chancellor from the others in the assembly, yet their gazes turned north towards my position where I still awaited the fake verdict of my sentence. _I would really like it if this traitor revealed himself sometime soon_, I thought grimly. _I mean, I like being bait and all, but this is getting ridiculous._

"In the case of Marcus John Tyson, however," started Chancellor Vernluck again. "We, the Council, have deliberated previously on the accounts presented in this case." _What?_ "It is then, with our unquestionable judgment as leaders of the galactic community, that we sentence this former human officer to death under the legislation written prior to the unification and settlement of the—" The words quickly faded away as they drew on. My body was weak and I felt frail under their gazes. Was this all a show or was I really being sent to my death? These thoughts flooded through me as I tugged on the cuffs behind me, surely they would have unlocked by now? But they had not and I was alone in my choice to be the sacrificial lamb.

I felt fear, hate, anger, but most of all shame towards all that I had done. What had been my life really? A ton of wandering and searching in a meaningless galaxy. Everything I had ever wanted as a boy seemed false and broken. Each grasp of tangible matter turned to dust and ash, covering me in its harsh soot. I remained a broken person whose life seemed to lead to nowhere.

But my deliverance came in the most unexpected form: a single shot that was fired from a high balcony of officials. Raven and the other members of the gang were in those balconies and in that same place my savior fired a shot that saved my life, but ended his.

Panic erupted in the room as the chancellors flung themselves to the ground. C-Sec officials stormed the chamber, raising weapons high to the onlookers, demanding to know who had fired the shot. Such a densely populated crowd made it hard to discern the potential assassin from the honest merchant. I even spied Raven's shocked expression in the balcony opposite to the one where the shot was fired, he was searching for the culprit as well.

The crowds parted for a moment, just so I and others could gaze upon the person who had saved my life. It was so simple, so shocking and yet it broke me to the core. It was Thionan with a simple black widow sniper rifle in his arms. He was the traitor in our midst.

The shackles that bound me, broke off with a sharp snap.

"All officers under Mr. Richardson's corps report to action immediately!" Screamed some guard in C-Sec. Instantly the place was flooded and I saw Siphon, Biasheta, and others climbing over walls and jumping off the balconies to chase after the newly found traitor. This was what I had my gun for, this was the ploy coming into fruition. Yet I found myself unable to move, shocked into submission. My heart beating against my chest was all that I could recognize as I fell to my knees in despair.

_Thionan… how could he… how could he have ever been…?_ These disjointed thoughts tore at me, brandishing their swords towards my gut. I had been played like so many before me. I was sick of being used; I just wanted all the pain to stop.

And yet I found myself coming to my feet, against my will, and chasing after the turian who had flipped my world upside down.

* * *

**It has been a long time since I have updated and I thank everyone who is still here and interested in what is happening next. More chapters will come out on a more regular basis, I was just in a writer's slump for the longest time. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, there will be another one next week.**


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